With Each Season
by V. Shalyr
Summary: His secrets were like the jewels he stole, precious, and it was hard to think of sharing them. But this was something he had to do. Because living was a choice they had to make and neither of them could move forward on their own. KaiShin
1. Summer

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

**Summary**: His secrets were like the jewels he stole, precious, and it was hard to think of sharing them. But this was something he had to do. Because living was a choice they had to make and neither of them could move forward on their own.

**Pairings**: Kaito x Shinichi

**WARNINGS: Shounan ai (boy/boy pairing), you have been warned **

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><p><strong>With Each Season<strong>

**By V. Shalyr**

* * *

><p><strong>1. Summer<strong>

"What the hell happened up there?"

Those were the first words out of Hakuba Saguru's mouth when he and Shinichi finally made it out of Inspector Nakamouri's post-heist briefing and into the cold night air. Well, he thought of it as night air though it was practically morning. KID heists usually weren't very long, but the post-heist briefings were another story. Thirty minutes of chaos, three hours of clean-up and complaints.

"I told you that nothing happened," Shinichi sighed, knowing full well that the other detective didn't believe him for a moment. "He just gave me the jewel and left like he always does."

"And?"

"And what?"

Hakuba scowled, his brown eyes narrowed with suspicion and more than a little confusion. "What did he say to you?"

The black-haired detective turned his face away so the other wouldn't see the pink he knew was spreading across his cheeks. "Nothing, he just said goodnight."

"Why?"

"I don't know," Shinichi snapped, finally fed up with this interrogation. "This is KID we're talking about. Who knows what his reasons are?"

Hakuba fell silent at last at that, brooding, and Shinichi silently thanked whatever god was listening for that. Because the truth was that he _did _know what KID was up to at least in part and no way in hell was he going to talk about it with Hakuba.

Something had changed about KID; everyone in the Kaitou KID Taskforce had noticed. And it had started some time after Haibara Ai had found the cure and Shinichi had finally gotten his body back. Or maybe it had begun earlier than that and the secretive thief had just been biding his time before letting it show, the detective couldn't be sure. The only thing he knew for certain was that at that first heist back as teenage detective Kudou Shinichi—well, he had never been so shocked in his life, and that was saying something coming from someone who had woken up one night to find that some drug meant to kill him had instead reduced his apparent age by a full ten years…

.

Shinichi stared at the envelope on his kitchen table. It had arrived sometime during the night, somehow finding its way onto said kitchen table without his knowledge in order to greet him as he made his way downstairs for an early breakfast before heading off to class. He had seen it the moment he'd flicked on the lights, a simple envelope of thick, crimson paper—with a white rose lying across the top. He hadn't known what to make of it, and then he'd seen the KID insignia scrawled in gold on the corner of the envelope.

He hadn't been to a KID heist yet, not since he'd stopped being Conan and went back to being Kudou Shinichi. Really, he hadn't had the time. All his energy had had to be poured into catching up with his classmates so he could graduate high school on time and go to college. And on top of that, there was the strain of discovering that being Shinichi again wasn't going to be as easy as he'd once thought. Because even if the world hadn't changed, _he _had. He might not have been Conan anymore, but he also wasn't the Kudou Shinichi that everyone else, including himself, remembered.

"_You disappear for three years and now it's like I don't even know you," _Ran had said. _"You're like a completely different person." _

It was hard to tell if she had been disappointed by this. Probably a little bit, but not as much as she would have been a few years ago. They weren't as close as they used to be. It was like somewhere along the way after he'd been Conan, they'd both moved on, both grown up. Time and distance and secrets had changed them both, and sometimes, Shinichi wondered if either of them had ever really understood one another at all.

As for Shinichi himself, despite his new aversion for the spotlight, he was now more famous a detective than he had ever been with the overthrow of the Black Organization added to his already impressive resume. Inevitably, that meant more cases to add to the workload he already had from school. Sometimes, he had to wonder how he managed to finish it all. No wonder he was so tired lately.

Funny how time could slip away from you so easily. He had been Shinichi again for several months already, but somehow, it still felt as though he had only just gotten back. Like somehow, life hadn't really started yet. It was probably his own fault though. Work hadn't used to feel so much like…well, _work._

Which brought him back to the envelope on his kitchen table.

The magician thief had been on his mind a lot lately. Mostly, Shinichi blamed it on the conversation he'd had with the man a good couple months ago. Shinichi, or rather Conan, had been standing on the edge of a building rooftop watching the last of the Black Organization heads being carried away in police cars. He hadn't heard the thief coming, but it didn't take him long to become aware of his presence.

"_I guess it's finally over for you then, Tantei-kun?" _

"_I guess so." Especially since Haibara had told him only a few days ago that she had finally completed a proper antidote. "What about you?" _

_The thief tugged down the brim of his white top hat, shadowing his mysterious smile. "Not yet." _

"_What are you looking for?" Conan had been wondering about that for awhile now. It was refreshing to work on KID's cases now and then with the general lack of bloodshed and death, but mulling over the thief's many__, many__ files had gotten him thinking about his reasons. And even though it was perfectly believable that the enigmatic magician would do what he did for the thrill and the challenge of it, Conan was sure that it was something more than that. The jewels that he stole were worth a fortune and he could easily have made them disappear as freely as he vanished from the clutches of the police, and yet he didn't do it—somehow always chose to give them back. Why? Perhaps because none of those jewels was the one he wanted. _

"_Mm, a dream." _

"_That's not really an answer." _

"_Perhaps I'll explain it to you someday." _

"_Why not now?" _

"_There's a time and a place for everything." Which was really no answer either, but that was KID for you. _

"_Thank you for giving me a hand in there," Conan said suddenly, still not looking around at the thief. He would probably have been in the hospital now if it hadn't been for KID's interference during the final confrontation. "That was you, wasn't it? But what were you doing here in the first place?" _

"_Let's just say that I have a dislike for criminal organizations. And of course I have to keep an eye on my favorite detective. I expect you to be around for a long time yet." _

_Genuinely curious, Conan craned his neck so he could peer at the thief's face, not that he could see much with the hat and the monocle and the darkness. "Haven't you got enough people chasing after you?" _

_The thief grinned that sharp, mischievous, shark's grin of his, the moonlight gleaming off his monocle. "No, I've got much more interesting plans for you." _

Staring at the envelope, Shinichi wondered if this was part of that plan he'd been talking about. There had been something in the way he'd said those words, like a promise though Shinichi had no idea what that promise was supposed to be. With some trepidation, he extracted the letter and glanced over the message written in fancy golden ink upon the heavy paper. It was a riddle, he realized immediately, most likely the notice to KID's next heist.

A personal heist invitation from Kaitou KID. Nakamouri would have a field day.

But why the rose? He frowned at the flower for a long moment trying to puzzle out its purpose before shaking his head and heading to the cupboards for a tall glass to put it in. The magician thief was probably just being his usual overdramatic self. The important question was what he was going to do with the fancy invitation.

.

…Inspector Nakamouri had not been happy to see him when he and his Taskforce arrived at the scene of the next heist to begin their own preparations. But he had calmed down some after Shinichi reassured him that he had no real interest in trying to catch the thief with the rest of them or trying to steal Nakamouri's chance at that honor—however slim that chance was, but he'd kept that part to himself. No, the teen detective was only there to watch, and because he found the thief's games interesting. The good inspector hadn't needed to know that KID wanted him there for some reason.

And by the time the night was over, Shinichi had been more than happy that he had chosen to keep that bit of information to himself…

.

"What the hell?"

Swears and exclamations of surprise tore through the air of the plaza before the museum where, instead of going suddenly dark as was his habit, it had gone suddenly and dazzlingly bright. When they were at last able to open their eyes, they found that every tree and statue and even some parts of the pavement had been strung with lights, all culminating in the spotlight upon the thief who had been patiently waiting for their eyes to adjust from atop one of the museum's marble pillars. After a snarl from Nakamouri assured him that he had everyone's undivided attention, KID grinned and flung his arms out in a gesture of welcome.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for joining me tonight. Because tonight is going to be special. I hope you all enjoy the show."

For a moment, indigo eyes caught Shinichi's blue ones, and then all the lights winked out to be replaced by the bang and sparkle of fireworks high above their heads.

"Don't let him distract you!" Nakamouri was bellowing, directing himself and his men towards the museum. More guards had been stationed inside of course, but he had always been a do-it-himself kind of person.

Shinichi, however, was no longer paying attention to the officers. He had the strangest feeling in his stomach that told him KID wasn't interested in the jewel tonight, something about the glint in his eyes when they'd locked gazes only for the life of him he couldn't figure out what.

"What are you up to?" he muttered under his breath, but of course no one was around to answer.

As far as he could tell, the heist carried on like every other heist that had come before. There was the usual chaos, the yelling, bright colors and tricks, ending with the thief getting away with the target gemstone in hand. It wasn't until Shinichi arrived on the roof that anything out of the ordinary happened. KID stood at the edge of the roof, for all intents and purposes looking as though he had been waiting for him. At the sound of the door to the rooftop opening, he didn't look around, but Shinichi caught the sound of his voice carrying smoothly back to him.

"So good of you to come, Tantei-kun, and just on time too."

Before Shinichi could figure out what he meant, shrieks and gasps of surprise and wonder rose to their ears from the crowds below. And suddenly, everywhere in the air around them, the darkness of the night was lit by thousands upon thousands of glowing butterflies.

To say that the sight was breathtaking wouldn't have done it justice.

This didn't really seem like KID's usual game, Shinichi reflected. Yes it was an awe-inspiring sight, but it wasn't one of his danger-defying stunts or reality-bending tricks—not really. It was simple, beautiful…unforgettable.

.

…And really, that had been the point.

Thinking back, Shinichi still wasn't sure how the red flower petals had made it into the air around them or where the sudden scent of roses had come from. But none of that was important. What was important was that he could still feel that odd tingle that had started with the arrival of that scarlet envelope, still recall in perfect detail the way the moonlight brushed the rooftop around them, painting the magician thief in shades of silver-white and shadows.

"_You didn't check the stone." _

_For just a moment, surprise flickered across the thief's face before he hid it with an easy, sly smile. "I suppose I should have expected you to notice that. But no, there's no point in checking this particular jewel." _

"_You already knew it wasn't the one you wanted," Shinichi said slowly, frowning. "But then why this heist?" _

"_Isn't it obvious?" _

_No, it wasn't—or it __**was**__ but it also wasn't because it didn't make any sense. It didn't ma__k__e any sense and that was why he hadn't been able to recognize the look in those indigo eyes until now. _

"_But I'm a detective," Shinichi protested, his mind still refusing to properly process the situation. The fact that KID was walking—stalking—across the rooftop and closing what little distance there had been between them was not helping. In fact, it was making him quite nervous only there was really nowhere to back up to. _

"_That doesn't matter to me." _

_A white-gloved hand reached out to caress his cheek and Shinichi flushed, rooted to the spot despite himself. _

"_And you're a thief." Brilliant statement really. _

_A familiar smirk flashed across KID's face and he leaned in close, his voice a warm murmur in the detective's ear, "Exactly." And then his mouth closed over Shinichi's and the detective's brain ground to a halt. He knew he should probably have at least tried to pull away despite the hand that had moved around to the back of his head to prevent this, but his body didn't seem to want to listen to him. He blamed it on the dazzling display that had come before and the atmosphere it had created, __blamed it on the feeling of not quite belonging that had followed him since he'd taken the cure yet he'd stubbornly refused to pay attention to, __blamed it on the arm wrapped around his waist and the warmth of the cloak that curled around them at the tug of the wind—and damn it but KID was a good kisser. He'd never been kissed like that before. There was fire in it and a kind of fierceness he would have expected from the infamous magician thief, but there was also an almost aching sort of gentleness and it made Shinichi wonder for the first time what kind of person the thief was when he wasn't being KID. _

"_I'll give you some time to think about it. Until the next heist then, goodnight, Tantei-kun." _

Shinichi sped up his steps to get ahead of Hakuba, not wanting the other detective to see the expression on his face. He'd been lucky that night that neither Hakuba nor Hattori had been in attendance. He'd been so dazed and confused by the whole experience that he hardly knew how he managed to make it home.

It wasn't exactly common knowledge but neither was it exactly a secret that he and KID had a unique relationship, unique and inevitably complicated considering who they were. From the very first time he'd met the infamous criminal on the rooftop overlooking where the Black Star was on display, KID had left an undeniably deep impression, arriving as soundlessly as the phantom people called him with that oddly knowing smirk on his lips. If he'd been surprised by the cocky not-child and his flare, he hadn't shown it. Instead, he'd given credit to his reputation by taking it all in stride and answering in kind, employing his unusual talents to leave behind yet again a furious bunch of police officers and one stunned detective who had never before come so close to a criminal only to have him get away.

Kaitou KID was good at first impressions.

Shinichi wondered if it was something he had to work at or if it just came naturally. The magician did seem incredibly lucky, but he rather suspected that the thief was more meticulous and calculating than he was fortunate. He was a detective after all; he knew that luck could only take a person so far. And he'd seen too much of the world's misfortunes to believe that fortune would favor anyone in particular for so long. No, if KID was lucky, it was because he knew how to make his own luck and bend the world around him in just the right way. To be sure, it was a skill that drove Inspector Nakamouri crazy.

"Kudou," Hakuba interrupted his recollections, his serious voice laced with disapproval, "don't forget that he's a thief. If you know something…"

Shinichi shoved his hands in his pockets where he could clench them into fists without being noticed. Four weeks of dealing with Hakuba after the blonde had gotten back from England and learned of his new involvement in KID heists and he was already tired of dealing with him. No wonder KID went out of his way so often to pick on his fellow Holmes' fan.

"I already told you that I don't know anything, Hakuba." It was the truth too, Shinichi thought sourly. He really needed to sleep. "Seriously, how many times do I have to say it?"

"So then why the sudden interest in KID heists? You've never shown any interest in his heists before."

That wasn't true, but then Hakuba didn't know about Conan.

"It's a nice change of pace," Shinichi said instead, stifling a yawn. Now that the heist was over, his recent lack of sleep was catching up with him. "Frankly, I guess I'm a little tired of murders." And murderers.

Well, 'tired of" wasn't exactly how he would have liked to put it. "Sick of" would probably have been more accurate a description. But that was the problem with being a homicide detective.

For a long few minutes, Hakuba didn't say anything more, though Shinichi could feel him studying the back of his head. Then at last, the blond detective sighed. 'Find, but I'll be watching you."

If he hadn't been so exhausted, Shinichi would have rolled his eyes at that. But as it were, he was just grateful that Hakuba had given up on interrogating him for the time being. He had too many other things on his mind to want to add the blonde's suspicions to that list. It was really too bad that Hakuba hadn't stayed in England for just a few more months. Maybe this whole mess would have been worked out by then.

"_Ah, Tantei-kun, it's good to see you again. I was wondering how long it would take you. Much longer and I would have had to come looking for you." _

He had tried, really, he had. And yet in the end, Shinichi hadn't been able to stay away. And a few heists later, he again found himself waiting anxious but excited along with the rest of the Kaitou KID Taskforce at a diamond exhibit passing through town for the thief's promised appearance, wondering all the while at the spell that the thief seemed to have cast over him. Or maybe it was just the same spell that had his fans coming out every time despite the late hours to cheer him on.

"_So have you thought about it?" _

"_It was kind of hard not to," the detective replied a little dryly. _

"_And your decision?" _

"_I wasn't under the impression that you were giving me a choice." _

_The magician shrugged, tugging his hat lower over his face, his expression unreadable. "There's always a choice, but the options may be different from what you imagine." _

"_You…really intend to go through with this? What about the consequences? The risks?" _

"_I've already weighed my options and made my choice. I assure you that this was not a spur of the moment decision, but I suspect you realize that. I'm quite serious." A flash of light upon a lens obscuring the eyes behind it, "So what are you going to do, Tantei-kun?" _

His decision? Shinichi hadn't even known what his options were, not until that moment standing tensely with the thief's arms wrapped loosely around his waist looking up into the shadowed face. There had been determination in the gaze that caught and held his.

"_If I choose to run?" Somehow, deep down, he knew he wouldn't but he had to ask. _

"_Then it'll be my turn to chase you, won't it?" _

_Shinichi looked away. "Why?" _

_Why now? Why here? Why me? _

_KID didn't answer right away and the two of them stood in silence, listening to the police sirens in the distance. _

"_Because your story is similar to mine," he'd said finally, for once letting go of the riddles and the not-quite-answers. "And I think you might be able to understand me." _

To understand Kaitou KID, now that was a scary thought.

"_Is that even possible?" _

"_I guess you'll have to tell me." _

"_And you really trust me?" _

"_I would like to." _

_The sincerity there had surprised Shinichi a little, but it also made him feel oddly warm. He knew what it was like not to be able to trust the people around you, even the ones you knew cared for you, and he found that maybe he did understand the thief if only a little bit. _

"…_Will you give me more time to think about it?" _

"_Mm, I suppose that's fair. But I expect to see you at my heists or else I'll come looking. I'm patient but I like to keep an eye on the things I want." _

After finally closing the door of the Kudou manor behind him, Shinichi allowed himself to slump against it and reach up to pull the necklace from around his neck for a better look. It was simple but eye-catching, a white gold pendant wrought into a twisting pattern that looked a little bit like two birds in silhouette. KID apparently had pretty good taste in jewelry, but maybe that was what came out of being a jewel thief.

Trust KID to choose tonight of all nights to give him something like this.

"_Hakuba's here," Shinichi felt the need to remind him as the magician thief leaned forward to invade his personal space. _

_He could practically feel KID smirk against his ear. "I know. So I'll refrain from stealing a goodnight kiss." _

_The detective flushed but forgot some of his embarrassment when something cold brushed against his neck. Then the other was stepping away, his customary grin firmly back in place. _

"_And what's this?" Shinichi asked, not moving his hand to touch the pendant that now lay beneath his shirt on a thin, metal chain. _

"_A promise." _

That he was sincere, that he would be back and that next time, Shinichi would be waiting.

Because after more than a month of thinking about it, of re-evaluating where he stood and the direction his life had taken, he'd said yes. And KID had smiled what Shinichi was sure was the first genuine smile he'd ever seen on the thief's face, without malice or mischief or mystery, and Shinichi wasn't sure why he felt relieved and anxious at the same time. And maybe just a bit excited.

Choosing not to dwell on this—he'd never been good at sorting out his own emotions anyway—Shinichi tucked the pendant back beneath his shirt and headed upstairs to bed, wondering when the next heist notice would arrive on his kitchen table. Hopefully, it would be soon.

.

The entire way home, Kaito could hardly keep the maniacal grin off his face. The heist had gone off wonderfully, but it was finally acquiring Shinichi's acquiescence that really thrilled him. He'd been working towards it for months and next time… His elation subsided a little and he slowed as he reached his apartment building. Next time, he had promised to tell his detective a story—a very important story and one that he hadn't told to anyone or ever planned to tell before.

Taking a deep breath, Kaito let it out slowly before making his way through his darkened apartment. He didn't need to turn on the lights to see where he was going. Even if he didn't know the interior of his home like the back of his hand, his night vision was excellent. To be sure, it was a helpful trait for a master thief to have.

The idea of telling someone about Pandora and his father's murder still unsettled him, but he had decided that it was something he had to do no matter how accustomed he was to keeping it to himself. Human beings, he had decided, had never been meant to do things alone. And sometimes, Kaito feared that he was going crazy from so many years of doing just that.

Of course, most people thought he'd lost his mind a long time ago. Only a real lunatic, they thought, would go out of his way to provoke the police the way he did or make such a show of his heists when everyone knew thievery was best conducted in the shadows. It just went to show how little they understood. Maybe you had to be a little crazy to do the things he did, but you had to be something different to get away with it.

No, the reason Kaito worried over his sanity was much simpler than that—or much more complicated depending on how you looked at it. Because the fact was that internationally wanted jewel thieves could never let their guard down, not if they wanted to stay free. And freedom had come to mean a great deal to Kaito. Only somewhere along the way to becoming KID and carrying on his father's legacy, he seemed to have built himself an entirely different kind of cage.

The first time it hit him was when he'd found himself running background checks on his classmates upon starting his university classes. In a week, he could rattle off not only all their names but what they studied, where they lived, their ambitions, and the career paths of the other members of their immediate families.

It wasn't that he didn't _like _to know these things—because, face it, he was a nosy person by nature. But the problem was that he hadn't done it because he _wanted _to. He'd done it without even really noticing, carried out the research automatically because somewhere deep down he'd gotten used to hiding and having to know things—not because he enjoyed it but because he had to in order to stay a couple steps ahead of the game. He was just being careful.

The second time it had hit him, he had been going over the information he'd collected with the bugs he'd placed around his mother's house after having refused an invitation to perform at one of his classmate's parties. He was busy, he'd told them. And then he'd wondered the entire way home how he didn't seem to perform nearly as often now as he used to, not including his nighttime stage.

The third time it had hit him, he'd been dodging bullets after a close escape from a museum rooftop, and he'd realized belatedly that he hadn't been afraid at all. It had been about surviving, about the right move and staying ahead of his enemies, and it had been cold and calculating and precise. Not that he'd ever been one for fear to begin with, but he would have expected to at least feel _something_.

The fourth time…well, the fourth time it had hit him, he'd almost pulled the trigger on one of his would-be assassins, and he hadn't been aiming for temporary damage.

That was when Kuroba Kaito had decided that something had to change. Yes, he was an internationally wanted criminal. Yes, he was more than a little eccentric. But despite what everyone else thought, he was not—at least in his own definition—crazy and had no intention of letting himself become that way.

And that was when he made up his mind. He'd had enough of being by himself. He'd had enough of putting the rest of his life on hold for the sake of justice and a legendary gem that might not even really exist. He had to start living for real again, had to find a way to start reconnecting with himself before the constant paranoia, solitude, and vengeance turned him into something he didn't want to become.

He'd left a note for his mother so she wouldn't worry, gotten hold of a fast motorcycle and hit the road, needing to get away for awhile. Three days of just traveling to sort out his thoughts, to re-examine the people in his life and think about what he really wanted. There had been quite a large number of things on that list ranging in importance from a good mug of hot chocolate to his lifelong dream of being the best magician the world had ever seen, even better than his father had been. But mostly, what he'd really wanted at that moment was someone to talk to, someone he didn't have to hide anything from or watch himself around, someone he could trust and hold and care for without the distance that always seemed to separate him and the people around him these days.

He'd known _who _he wanted too, and KID always got what he wanted eventually.

"_You! What are you doing here?" _

"_Making sure that certain elements I need for my plans don't get taken away from me." _

"_What?" _

"_I wouldn't worry about it if I were you, murderer-san. Where you're going, there's really no need for you to understand." _

It was a real pity that Snake had not been part of the Black Organization after all. It would have put the icing on the cake when Tantei-kun had exposed the organization and gotten back the ten years he had lost. But he would settle for his detective not being hurt for the time being.

Honestly, he'd been tempted on that rooftop after the final confrontation with the Black Organization to tell the mini detective the truth or part of it at least. But something had held him back, habit perhaps or uncertainty as to how the other would react. Trust really was a luxury that most people didn't know how to appreciate.

And that brought him back to the matter of his story.

Pouring himself a cup of water, he stopped by the glass doors leading out to the balcony to examine the dark night sky. He'd searched a long time for an apartment with a balcony and a good location not too close but not too far away from all the action in the city, but it was worth the time and effort. For him, a balcony was like a second door, an entrance and an escape route. And the fact that you could watch the city and think on it was also greatly appreciated.

Somehow, Kaito didn't think he'd be getting much sleep tonight. Fortunately, it was Friday and he didn't have any weekend plans.

"_There's one thing I want, though I assume you know this already." _

"_You want to know why." _

"_Yes, I want to know the truth behind KID." _

"_Ah, it always comes down to the truth, doesn't it?" _

_Shinichi hesitated. "Not always." _

"_No? I thought that was the way with you detectives." _

"_You could say that I've learned differently, but I think you knew that already. I've had enough of lying. Relationships don't last on lies. And somehow, I don't think you started all this with the intention of keeping everything a mystery." _

_KID chuckled. "It depended on you." _

"_Because you want to trust me." _

"_As I've said. Frankly, I'm not all that good with the truth, but I also find myself tiring of lies—well, sometimes anyway." That wasn't to say deceiving people wasn't still fun. _

"_So if I agree…" _

"…_Then the answer is yes." _

Funny how much it had taken to say that despite his resolve. But then Kaito never made promises lightly. They were too important. It wasn't that he was nervous. No, he got over simple nervousness quickly. It was more that his secrets were like the jewels he stole only far more precious. And it was so hard to accept the idea of having to give even one away, let alone one as important to him as the story of the first Moonlight Magician.

"Well, Tou-san," he mused aloud, finishing the rest of his water in one gulp and starting for his bedroom at last, "I hope you're not too disappointed at having your secret found out by a detective at last after all this time. But this is too important. And you know what? I think you would have approved of him."

At least he hoped so.

.

The Devil was out to get him today, Hakuba was sure of it—and that Devil most likely had disheveled brown hair and a smirk designed to chip away at his sanity, or at least a white top hat. An amber pendant called the Gold Remembrance was scheduled to be on display in Ekoda that weekend and Kaitou KID had announced it as his next target. As soon as he'd found out the week before, Hakuba had tried to persuade the pendant's owner to either cancel or change the date of the exhibition, but the woman—and of _course_ it had to be a woman—had refused on the grounds that it was good publicity and the thief would most likely give it back anyway.

Sometimes, genius detective or not, Hakuba Saguru thought he would never understand women.

Still, with or without the owner's cooperation, the police couldn't just let things be. Hakuba had personally overseen several of the security measures and had even made plans to arrive early the day of the heist to ensure everything went as planned. Only from the moment he'd awoken that morning, things had begun to go wrong.

First, he couldn't find his usual coat and had spent half an hour searching until finally giving up and digging around in his wardrobe until he found another suitable jacket. Then it had been his car keys, which mysteriously did not turn out to be where he was absolutely sure he'd put them the night before. A once-over of his entire house—and of course, his house had to be a small mansion—he'd finally located said keys hanging from a length of invisible wire from one of the second floor windows. When he'd finally been able to untie them, he'd gotten called out to a murder on the other side of town—though that, at least, probably wasn't the thief's fault. That case and the burglary alert after that had taken up the entire afternoon. And then finally, finally when he had been able to make it into his car and onto the road, the traffic had decided to take on rush hour characteristics despite being practically midnight.

Unsurprisingly, Hakuba ended up missing almost the entire heist. Though he did arrive on the roof just an instant before the thief tipped backwards off the edge. Technically, he should have been used to this. What he wasn't used to, however, was the glimpse he was almost sure he'd gotten of someone in the thief's arms moments before both figures were obscured by the folds of a billowing, white cape.

But it couldn't be. It just didn't make any sense. Then again, this _was _KID. Very few things about him made sense, at least from the British detective's perspective.

Hakuba frowned, glancing around the crowded room searching for a face that had recently become a regular at such meetings. When he didn't find it, he grabbed one of the officers and asked, "Have you seen Kudou?"

"Kudou Shinichi?" The man hesitated, his forehead scrunched up as he tried to remember. "I'm…not sure. But then he always seems to be disappearing off by himself. Maybe he left early today?"

Nodding stiffly, Hakuba let the man go.

So it had been Kudou he'd seen, unless his eyes had decided to play tricks on him today too. But if he couldn't trust his own senses, what could he trust? All he could do now was wonder _why_.

Because this time, KID hadn't just stolen the Gold Remembrance. He'd stolen renowned detective Kudou Shinichi too.

.

"So where are we going?"

Shinichi almost had to shout to be heard over the roar of the wind as the motorcycle sped along the highway. There were few other vehicles on the road at this late hour, leaving them alone with the hum of the engine and the streetlights zipping past above their heads.

"Mm, you hungry?"

"Not particularly."

"Then I suppose we're off to somewhere quiet, seeing as I owe you a few explanations."

Shinichi nodded and closed his eyes, tightening his hold on the person in front of him as the motorcycle sped up. He wasn't sure how long they were on the road, but it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. Then KID was pulling to the side and Shinichi found himself getting off on the side of a bridge overlooking the bay. They had a great view of the city from here too, but Shinichi only had time to admire it for a moment before his gaze was drawn to the young man beside him who had just taken off his helmet. Sensing his stare, KID turned and grinned at him, giving him his first good look at the thief's face.

Shinichi's first thought was that he was even younger than he'd originally estimated, probably only a year older than the detective himself at most. His second thought was that despite the little differences in their features, they really did look a lot alike. The biggest difference lay instead in the way they held themselves.

"Kuroba Kaito," the thief introduced himself, interrupting Shinichi's train of thought and holding out his hand. "And welcome to my home of Ekoda. I know you haven't been here often."

"No, I haven't," Shinichi agreed, shaking his hand and wondering just how much the magician knew about him. He'd have to ask him sometime. It was sort of unnerving not to know. Then again, maybe it would be more unnerving to be told. "I guess it's pretty pointless for me to introduce myself."

"A little, but you can if you want to. Introductions are important after all and I promise I'd hear you out."

"Um, that's okay."

"Well, let me know if you change your mind." With a shrug, Kaito slung an arm about the detective's shoulders and guided them over to the railing. "I thought a bridge seemed like a good place for stories, don't you think? A crossing place, something that connects two different worlds."

"Seems a little dramatic."

"And I'm _all _about understatement."

"Ah, right."

There was a soft tinkle and suddenly, an amber pendant was hanging from a thin, golden chain in front of Shinichi's face. The detective glanced questioningly from it to Kaito then back again, recognizing the target of that night's heist.

"Do you know what people say about this pendant, Tantei-kun?" Kaito asked, his voice light and teasing but with something else in his eyes that seemed altogether too serious. He'd thought a long time about how to begin.

"It's belonged to a lot of people who've all had very good luck," Shinichi said slowly, running through the information he'd found on the pendant before the heist. "And they say that it can hold memories."

Kaito nodded. "It's said that if you look at it in the right light, you can see something of the people who've owned it, the best and brightest moments of their lives. That's why it's called the Gold Remembrance."

Kaito lifted his hand so that they could watch the moonlight shining through the clear golden stone. With the silver behind it, it almost seemed to glow, and Shinichi thought with some awe that such stones weren't valuable for no reason. It really was beautiful, but Kaito just sighed and slipped it back into his pocket. The moment he'd confirmed that it wasn't the stone he wanted, he was no longer interested.

Tucking his hands into his pockets, the thief gazed up at the night sky, his expression pensive. For a long while neither of them said anything, Kaito trying to figure out where to begin and Shinichi sensing that it wasn't an easy tale for him to tell.

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live forever, Tantei-kun?"

The question caught the detective by surprise. "Not really. What's the point?"

Kaito chuckled. "Ah, detectives, and you wonder why I say you all have a lack of imagination sometimes. What if I told you that there's a jewel somewhere out there that can give a person immortality?"

Impossible, was Shinichi's first reaction, but the thief looked so serious that the words wouldn't leave his mouth. Instead, he found himself asking with more uncertainty than he would have thought, "Is there?"

The thief flashed a sharp but slightly rueful grin. "I don't know. But I hope so. Because someday, I'm going to find and destroy it."

Because more than a decade ago, the first Phantom Thief 1412, dubbed Kaitou KID by mystery writer Kudou Yusaku, had turned his search towards one particular legend—a mysterious jewel by the name of Pandora with the power to give someone immortality. And it was a search that would lead to his death on stage at the hands of the very criminal circle that had originally sought him out in the hopes of acquiring his services in their search for eternal life.

"So the original KID was a professional magician outside of his night job?"

"The best," Kaito said, his smile turning wistful. "I mentioned him at that magician's club incident, if you'll recall."

Shinichi thought for a moment. "Kuroba…Toichi."

"The one and only."

And now it was Kuroba Kaito's turn to continue KID's work.

"I found Tou-san's old stuff by accident one day. You could say I literally fell into it. And his old assistant told me about the rest. He flicked his wrist and was suddenly holding his trademark white top hat. He balanced it briefly on the tip of his finger then flipped it onto his head, yanking the brim down to shadow his face. "I do wonder sometimes what might have happened if I'd never found out, but I'm glad I did. I don't regret anything I've done since then. And really, I think I would have figured it out eventually anyway."

"And these people who went after him," Shinichi said, mulling over all the information he'd just been given with a slight frown developing on his face, "have you run into them yet?"

"A few times here and there," Kaito replied vaguely. "Nothing for you to worry about though."

But the detective's frown only deepened. "So they've come after you?"

"They've come after KID. They don't know who I am yet and I intend to keep it that way."

"How can you be sure?"

The magician laughed darkly. "Oh I'm sure. Trust me. If they ever do figure things out, I'll make sure you're the first to know."

"But—"

"Enough of that, Tantei-kun."

Shinichi stopped when Kaito put a finger to his lips. The magician caught his gaze and held it for a moment then smiled.

"I'm not asking you for your help. The whole point of KID is that other people, the people close to me, don't have to get involved. I don't like to get other people involved in my business, not unless I absolutely have no choice. I'm telling you all this because you asked for the truth, and because I want you in my life. Kuroba Kaito's life, not KID's."

"I was under the impression that they were one and the same."

"They are. But to the rest of the world, they aren't. And that's what matters for now."

The summer night was warm and the gentle breeze made it so easy to just let things go. And Kaito had the kind of smile that could put almost anyone at ease—with the possible exception of Hakuba, but then Kaito privately thought the Nuisance went out of his way to frustrate himself, not that Kaito wasn't more than happy to help him along.

"Fine," Shinichi conceded finally, "but I intend to help eventually. You're not the only person who doesn't like to lose the people close to them, so I'm sure you can understand."

Kaito seemed to give this some serious consideration then nodded reluctantly. "We have a deal then."

"So what now?"

"Well," Kaito drawled, hopping onto the railing and throwing his arms out to indicate the lights of the city behind him, "I thought I'd start by showing you around Ekoda."

"But it's one in the morning," Shinichi protested, not sure whether he was serious or not. "Can't that wait until tomorrow?"

"Sleep is _such _a waste of time! Fortunately, I've never needed much of it."

"Yes, well, unfortunately, _I _am a normal human being."

The magician threw back his head and laughed. Making his hat vanish again in a puff of smoke, he dropped down beside Shinichi, wrapping one arm around his shoulders and offering him a red rose with the other. "Fine then, I'll let you go for today. But expect me at your house bright and early tomorrow morning—or maybe that should be later today?"

"At the front door, I hope."

"Mm, I'll consider it. But windows are so much more interesting."

"And what is it with the roses?" Shinichi added in a grumble, torn between staring at the flower in front of him and wanting to look anywhere else.

"It's tradition," Kaito answered cheerfully, a wicked gleam finding its way into his eyes. "And you're cute when you're flustered."

Honesty, Shinichi reflected, perhaps wasn't always the best policy.

* * *

><p><strong>TBC… <strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN<strong>: A. F. Dragonstar did a picture for this chapter. It can be found at

alaena-h. /#/d46sxxi


	2. Fall

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

**Pairings**: Kaito x Shinichi

**WARNINGS: Shounan ai (boy/boy pairing), you have been warned **

**AN**: No, I have not forgotten about this story. It's just very hard to write so progress is very slow.

* * *

><p><strong>With Each Season<strong>

**By V. Shalyr**

* * *

><p><strong>2. Fall<strong>

Shinichi hadn't known what to expect when Kaito ushered him up to the front door of his mother's house. It was a weekend and Kaito had decided it was a good time to pay a visit home, bringing his new boyfriend with him. It was hard to imagine what kind of woman had married the first Kaitou KID and been the mother of the second. Whether or not she officially knew, he couldn't believe that she didn't at least suspect.

What he definitely _hadn't _expected was for the woman who opened the door to pull him into a tight hug and exclaim, "It's so good to see you again, Shin-chan! How's your mother?"

Again? When had the first time been? "My mother?"

"Kudou Yukiko," the woman elaborated, smiling warmly. "We met when she was studying with my husband."

Ah, that would explain it. Now that he thought about it, he did seem to recall meeting the man once, but it was such a long time ago and he'd been so young. He glanced back at Kaito, wondering if the magician had known this, but the magician was wearing that thoughtful, enigmatic smile of his that was almost impossible to read.

"She's doing very well, Kuroba-san, thank you. Last I heard, she and Father were still in America but thinking about going to Paris."

"She always did talk a lot about traveling. And just Chikage is fine." She beamed and stepped back to let them into the house. Once the door was shut behind them though, she gave her son a disapproving look. "Kaito, you really should come home more often. I hardly see you anymore. I thought we talked about you having dinner here with me every Friday."

"School work's been pretty unpredictable." Kaito gave his mother a bright and slightly apologetic smile. "At least I'm here at least once every two weeks, right? Even if it's not always Friday."

It was better if he didn't keep routines.

"You never told me why you couldn't make it last week, and after you said you'd come."

"Ah, sorry about that. A friend of mine got in a car accident and landed himself in the hospital. It was hard to think about much else."

Actually, it had been one of the officers in his taskforce, and it had been a stray gunshot from a would-be assassin and not a car. Kaito had been too furious to sit down and have a proper dinner with his mother. He'd been prepared to sneak into the hospital but Shinichi had talked him out of it, instead going in himself to make sure the officer would be all right. The whole incident had upset Shinichi too, mostly because it hadn't really sunk in until that moment that there were people out there who wanted the thief dead and were willing to get their hands dirty to accomplish it. Kaito might have considered there to be a difference between people shooting at KID and people shooting at Kaito, but Shinichi just couldn't see it that way. You didn't become a different person just because you put on a hat and a monocle. A change of clothes, a change of personality, a change of names—none of that could change the fact that if one got shot, the other would also bleed.

"So what are we eating today?" Kaito asked, smoothly changing the topic.

"I made some of your favorites," Chikage answered before turning back to Shinichi. "Is there anything you don't eat?"

"Everything's fine."

Rubbing his hands in an exaggerated show of enthusiasm, Kaito bounded towards the kitchen. "Great, then we're all set."

Chikage watched her son go with a slightly troubled smile that made Shinichi wonder if she knew or at least suspected that her husband's death had not been an accident. Granted, he could have been reading too much into things with his own experiences with the magician mixed in. After all, there was always so much for a mother to worry about when it came to her children. All the same, Shinichi felt compelled to clear his throat—albeit a bit uncomfortably—and say, "He's working real hard. I'm sure everything will work out."

After the words had left his mouth, Shinichi wondered briefly what he meant by them. But Kaito's mother just smiled as though she understood even if he didn't.

"I suppose things usually do with him. Thank you. It's been awhile since I've seen Kaito this much like himself."

All in all, it would turn out to be quite a pleasant evening, definitely the easiest encounter Shinichi would have with the people in Kaito's life. Chikage chatted amiably with Shinichi about his parents, school, and all the normal things families usually talked about that Shinichi's own rather abnormal family seemed to have missed out on growing up.

And Kaito, he was just happy to be sitting there at the table enjoying dinner with two of the people he cared for most in the world.

.

"Kudou? What are you doing here in Ekoda?"

Shinichi had to force himself not to jump at the question. He'd known Hakuba was going to be there, Kaito and he had discussed everything in great detail and even run practice meetings, but it didn't make him any less nervous. Taking a deep breath, he tried to remember the advice Kaito had given him. _Don't rush to explain_, the magician had said patiently, _talk when you're ready and make the pause seem natural. _

Easy for him to say.

"Hey, Hakuba," Shinichi greeted, turning away from the bakery he'd been standing in front of to glance at the approaching detective. "My parents are here to see an old family friend and I'm supposed to pick something up on the way."

Almost all true—_the best kind of lie_, according to Kaito. Personally, Shinichi didn't think you could have a "best" kind of lie. And turning what was practically the truth into a lie or at least a deception felt almost sacrilegious. At the same time, he agreed that they needed some way to introduce one another into each other's lives. Shinichi's friends and family weren't really going to be a problem. But Kaito's in particular had taken some planning. It was almost ridiculous how many people in his life were related to or involved in law enforcement. It felt like Fate was playing one huge joke on them all, or maybe it was just KID—not that it really mattered in the end.

Shinichi could still hear Nakamouri Aoko ranting about "that stupid thief" and his "stupid fans". On the bright side, he hadn't really had to say much during that particular encounter. On the down side, he'd never felt so completely _awkward _and he could not for the life of him understand how Kaito could just smile and laugh as though it had nothing to do with him.

Turning back to the cakes in the window display, which were easier to look at than Hakuba anyway, Shinichi added, "I don't suppose you have any recommendations?"

Somewhat taken aback, Hakuba joined him in front of the glass, eyeing the rows of creamy confectionary with uncertainty. "I've never been to this bakery, but I've heard that the chocolate cake is quite famous."

Mentally, Shinichi smacked a hand to his forehead. Of _course _Kaito had directed him to a place known for its chocolate cake. Chocolate seemed to be the magician's favorite flavor for everything.

"Ah, thanks. I guess chocolate cake it is."

The British detective was still standing outside when Shinichi emerged ten minutes later, the cake carefully placed in a plain white box inscribed with the bakery's name in fancy, golden letters. And as Shinichi started down the street, he fell into step beside him.

"I didn't know your parents were back in Japan."

Unfortunately, there was no need for Shinichi to fake his grimace. He hadn't known his parents were back in Japan either until about half an hour ago when he'd woken up in the back of their car on the road to Ekoda. Sometimes, Shinichi really hated being a heavy sleeper, but it had been a necessary survival skill before his parents had left on their travels around the world. Peace and quiet weren't exactly parts of their vocabulary. And neither was restraint with the way Yukiko had squealed over her son when she informed him that his boyfriend had instructed them to drop Shinichi off at a bakery because Hakuba would be near there that afternoon and it was about time they put their story into action. And she asked him why he hadn't told her that "Toichi-sensei's son" had asked him out.

_Kuroba Toichi. _

Shinichi had looked the man up after Kaito's brief introduction. He'd been quite a famous magician in his own right, even before KID had appeared upon the world stage, and remained much beloved despite having died fairly young due to a "terrible accident" during one of his shows. Yet as with any celebrity, it proved difficult to find any solid, useful information about the man himself. And asking his parents seemed little better.

"_He was a very good teacher,"_ his mother had replied wistfully and with more than a spark of mischief in her eyes. _"We always did have a lot of fun." _

And if anything, his father's answer had given rise to more questions than answers. _"He was a very…interesting man."_

Like Shinichi couldn't have guessed that on his own. In the end, Shinichi wasn't even entirely sure why he tried so hard to find information on Toichi. Maybe it was just part of being thorough, as he'd learned to be when it came to working on his cases. Or maybe it was how important the man seemed to have been—and still was—to Kaito. Somehow, it felt as though you needed to understand both magicians if you wanted to really know either one of them. Yet perhaps it worked the other way around too.

Because in pictures of Kuroba Toichi, Shinichi recognized Kuroba Kaito's enigmatic smile. And KID, who was so much a part of them both, had remained more or less untouched by the passage of time. Such was the way of legends.

"They only just flew back from Paris," Shinichi explained, pausing on a street corner to wait for the light to change.

"Mm." Hakuba's brows furrowed as they crossed the street and started towards what was increasingly becoming a familiar neighborhood. His expression only clouded further when Shinichi stopped in front of an all too recognizable house. It wasn't that anything in particular about its exterior made it terribly unusual, only Hakuba had seen it too many times in his efforts to prove KID and one of its occupants one and the same. "You said the people who live here are old family friends of yours?"

"Yes?"

"How long have you known them?"

At this, Shinichi turned to regard his fellow detective with raised eyebrows. "Well, Kuroba Toichi was my mother's teacher back when she was still an actress, if you must know. Though I've only just recently gotten acquainted with the family myself. Why?"

"Have you met their son?"

"You mean Kuroba Kaito."

Hakuba nodded slowly. "He's…a classmate of mine."

"Really? Must be a pretty interesting class then."

"…That's one way of putting it I suppose. So you've met then."

Shinichi nodded. This was starting to feel weirdly like an interrogation. "Is there a problem?"

The other detective opened his mouth, hesitated, and closed it again. He seemed to struggle with something for a moment then gave his head a hard shake. "You know that he's a Kaitou KID fan?"

"Yeah?" Shinichi could guess where _this_ was going.

"…Don't you think he's… a little suspicious?"

_Yes_, but Shinichi didn't have to be a detective to realize that was not the right answer. Instead, he shrugged and did his best to look confused.

"He's pretty eccentric, but then I've met a lot of magicians and it seems to be a trend."

For a long minute Hakuba said nothing, obviously unsure how to continue but determined nonetheless not to let the matter drop. Probably the worst kind of combination really. But before any more warnings or awkward questions could be exchanged, Kaito came bounding down the driveway towards them.

"Shinichi, I'm glad you could make it." Slinging an arm over the detective's shoulders, Kaito glanced at the other detective with raised eyebrows. "Ah, Hakuba, I see you're back from England. That certainly didn't take very long."

"Keeping track?"

The magician rolled his eyes. "Hardly. Aoko's been marking off the days on her calendar though, so you'd better hurry over and see her. If you'll excuse us, Shinichi and I are expected back inside."

Shinichi was more than happy to let Kaito lead him back up the driveway, only glancing back once before stepping through the front door. Hakuba hadn't tried to stop them, but the look in his brown eyes was sharp and suspicious. He wasn't going to just let the matter go, Shinichi knew, but they would cross that bridge when they came to it.

"Kaito?"

"Hmm?"

"Next time, how about you just disguise yourself as me and you can deal with Hakuba?"

"Mm, I could do that. But in order for things not to seem suspicious, you might have to pretend to be _me _and put in an appearance. He's just that kind of nuisance. Would you really be able to do that?"

"…Never mind. I prefer just to have to be myself." He'd had more than enough of pretending to be someone he wasn't.

"I thought as much."

It was strange to realize at moments like that—despite all the mischief and the madness—how _serious _a person Kaito really was. Life itself was like one giant performance and all his seemingly random actions or crazy ideas all part of some carefully calculated strategy in a high-stakes game where he was the only one who knew all the rules. He had so many faces, so many masks, and yet at the same time they were _real _too, different degrees of real perhaps but real nonetheless because that was all part of the act.

And Shinichi thought his own life was complicated. When all was said and done, what surprised him wasn't that Kuroba Kaito was a bit insane. No, what surprised him was that he hadn't gone completely mad a long time ago.

.

"Your house is _way _too big," Kaito decided, dumping the last pile of fallen leaves into the large plastic bin.

"Tell me about it."

Shinichi wiped the sweat from his eyes and sighed. Leaning against the handle of his rake, he stifled a yawn. "Thanks for the help."

"Mm, no problem. But seriously, let's invest some time in finding a good gardener for next time autumn rolls around."

"More like five good gardeners at least."

"Good point. We'd better start looking early." Kaito grinned wistfully. "Too bad we can't just duplicate ourselves or turn back time to get the work done faster."

Granted, if he did have the power to turn back time, he'd have better things to do with it than gardening. Funny, once upon a time, he would have given a lot for such a power. But somewhere along the way he'd learned or understood or accepted that life didn't work that way. If people really could turn back the clock, they'd only end up running around in circles.

They put away the gardening tools in the back shed and Shinichi shut the door behind them, leaning back against it and breathing in deeply, enjoying the cool afternoon breeze. "So are you going to tell me now what exactly all those huge boxes and sacks in my living room are for? I mean, I don't need the space or anything, but they are kind of in the way."

He'd had to climb over half of it just to get to the kitchen that morning and make himself a cup of coffee. He might have been grumpier about that except he'd arrived in said kitchen to find his boyfriend had already made him coffee. And it was hard to be annoyed when Kaito greeted him with a good morning kiss and sat him down in front of what he'd bought them both for breakfast on the way over.

"They're for the Halloween party of course."

Ah yes, of course. How could he forget? They'd only spent the past three weeks talking about it and making plans. Kaito had insisted that it would be the perfect way to introduce himself to Shinichi's friends. The invitations had not yet been given out and Shinichi was already dreading it.

"And you're really going to meet my friends dressed like—well, like _you_?"

A small puff of smoke and Kaito was suddenly balancing a monocle on his finger. He flipped it onto his nose with practiced ease and grinned, indigo eye gleaming behind the single lens. "It's not as strange as it seems. I _am _KID's greatest fan."

"…You're crazy."

"Not yet, Shin-chan, not yet." And that was the whole point really.

.

Shinichi couldn't quite decide what the expression on Ran's face was when he handed her the invitation. Kaito had had all the cards printed on thick, orange paper, the letters drawn in spidery golden letters draped over with spider webs and festooned with spiders.

"Um, Shinichi, are you feeling all right? You're sure you aren't coming down with a cold or something?"

Shinichi blinked, utterly confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You're throwing a party."

"Er, yeah?"

"You never throw parties, Shinichi, you _avoid _them. Your parents aren't home, are they?"

They were, but this was really just his equally crazy boyfriend being himself. Still, he couldn't tell Ran that, at least not yet. Or maybe he could? He could only imagine how mad at him Ran would be if he let this kind of thing be a surprise for very long. Relations between the two of them had gradually smoothed out in the past couple weeks. They may not be as close as they used to be, but she was still one of his best friends.

"Well actually, it was Kaito's idea. He's sort of—kind of, uh, my boyfriend..."

His last words trailed off into a mumble and it took Ran a moment to sort it out in her own head. Then her eyes went wide.

"Shinichi, did you just say what I thought you said? You have a _boyfriend_? Since when?"

"Just a few months ago," Shinichi said hurriedly, hoping she'd let the matter drop.

She didn't. They'd barely had any real time to just talk to one another since Shinichi had come back, or more like they hadn't really had anything to talk about. There was no way she was going to let this opportunity slip by them.

"Who is it? Do I know him? You know you have to introduce us, right?"

"He's a magician. We met at one of his shows." That was technically true. KID heists were pretty much magic shows, just different from the usual variety seeing as the star was wanted by the law. "You don't know him but he'll be at the party. We kind of wanted to use it as a way for him to meet my friends. It's not _really _a party exactly and you don't have to wear a costume or anything either."

He had had to work very hard to get Kaito to agree to that, but he was sure it had been worth the effort. He rather suspected that it was his dignity that he had saved, at least for this year.

"Oh." Ran considered this for a moment then smiled. "I'll be there then. Um, is—is it okay if I bring Eisuke?"

Shinichi nodded, relieved. This entire conversation could have been a lot more awkward than it was turning out to be. "Sure."

Hondo Eisuke. He and Ran had started going out about two weeks ago once the boy had finally scraped up the nerve to ask her. Shinichi supposed she could have done worse. Eisuke might have been a total klutz capable of constantly tripping over his own feet, but no one could accuse him of being a bad person.

"Are you going to invite Sonoko?"

Shinichi winced at the mention of the other girl. It hadn't taken very long for the two of them to decide that that probably wouldn't be the best idea. "Uh, no. It's just… Kaito's a huge KID fan and… Well, I'm sure you'll understand."

When Ran and Eisuke arrived at the Kudou Manor on Halloween and a figure clad all in white came pelting down the pathway to save the cake Eisuke had been carrying before it could die a messy death upon the grass, she definitely understood. Of course she'd been half expecting something like this. Shinichi had told her that his boyfriend was a magician and a KID fan, and on this day when people could pretend to be whatever they wanted, the fact that he might have come to the party dressed as the thief he professed to admire really wasn't that strange. But… But at the same time, even a fool could probably tell that this particular impersonator wasn't just any ordinary young man in a costume. What she hadn't counted on was the fancy acrobatics and the way he grinned when he spotted her and bowed, balancing the cake in one hand so he could conjure up a yellow rose for her with the other. Whoever he was, he really brought the costume to life.

Ran accepted the flower, laughing and feeling just a bit embarrassed. "I guess you must be Kaito, right?"

"Guilty as charged!" The magician straightened up and offered her a charming smile that left her a little dazzled. "And you must be Mouri Ran. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Yes, Ran reflected, Sonoko would have been totally blown away and she kind of doubted Shinichi wanted to have to spend Halloween fighting with her over his boyfriend. Not that Sonoko would stand a chance really but still, people had to draw the line somewhere.

"Shin-chan has said a lot about you. You know, you look remarkably like a friend of mine back in Ekoda. With a few touches, you two could practically be twins. I should introduce you sometime."

"Really?" Ran wasn't exactly sure what to say to this. "Um, I guess I'll look forward to it then. Oh, and this is my boyfriend, Hondo Eisuke."

"Ah, yes." Turning to the other young man who was glancing between Kaito and Ran with a look of helpless confusion, the magician smirked, his visible, indigo eye alight with mischief. "No worries, Hondo-san. I'm not trying to make any moves on your girlfriend. It so happens that I already have a significant other that I'm very happy with."

Eisuke's eyes widened behind his glasses and he stuttered, looking increasingly flustered while Kaito metaphorically sat back and observed the effects of his comment with amusement. At least until Shinichi's voice rang out across the front yard.

"Kaito? What are you—oh. Hi, Ran, Eisuke. Are you all going to just stand out there all day?"

"Coming!" Kaito called back. Turning back to their guests, he added cheerfully, "You're the first ones here, which means you get first dibs on the cookies. Shin-chan just baked them so they should be awesome. Would either of you like to help me mix colors for the icing? And we've just got a few more things to, ah, prepare before everyone else arrives."

Well, honestly, he was preparing everything for one unsuspecting detective in particular. But Ran and Eisuke didn't need to know that. Oh yes, Kaito absolutely loved Halloween.

.

"I thought you said you were going to wear a costume."

Hattori Heiji scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed under his girlfriend's disappointed gaze. "Er, sorry. I was planning on it but things just kept coming up. By the time I managed to get to the costume store, they didn't have anything suitable. And then one of the other customers passed out and—"

Kazuha raised her hands to cut him off, shaking her head in exasperation. Her ponytail swished with the movement, strands of loose, brown hair catching on the semi-transparent fabric that adorned the wire frame of her wings. "Okay, I get it. Honestly, I think we should go shopping for some kind of talisman against evil for you. A single good luck charm doesn't seem to be enough."

"Er, right. Maybe another time."

Turning back to the front door of the manor, Hattori frowned. They'd rung the doorbell several times in the last five minutes and still no one had come to open the door. "I wonder what's taking them so long. Hey! Anybody home?"

This time, instead of going for the doorbell, he pounded directly on the door. Maybe the bell wasn't loud enough or something. But at the hollow strike of his knuckles against the wood, the door gave and swung slowly open with a loud creak that spoke of hinges badly in need of oil. The pair blinked and stared into the dark entrance hall, an unspoken sense of unease settling over them.

"Er, Kudou?"

No answer came. Instead, there was a flare of light as several lanterns burst into life about the foyer, casting a dim, orange glow about the room. Hattori gulped, wondering if they'd arrived at the wrong house. But that wasn't possible. I mean, the Kudou mansion wasn't exactly easy to overlook.

Kazuha stepped closer to him, eyeing the open doorway a little nervously. "Um, should we go in?"

"I suppose we might as well," Hattori muttered, taking her hand. "But stick close and be ready to run."

"It's probably just a Halloween thing," Kazuha decided, squaring her shoulders. "You've seen some of the other houses around here. I mean, that is what people do on Halloween these days."

"Yeah, but I didn't think Kudou was one of those people. I just hope nothing bad's happened to him or anything. Hey, Kudou! You home?"

He half expected someone to say "no" but nobody did.

They had made it halfway towards the doorway Hattori seemed to recall leading to the kitchen when the front door creaked shut again behind him. Glancing back over their shoulders, their eyes widened to see a line of light running across the wood, slowly spelling out the word "welcome".

Well, that certainly wasn't normal. This was starting to feel weirdly like a scene out of a horror movie. Granted, the lives of all the up and coming teenage detectives of the era seemed to be bursting at the seams with scenes from horror movies. The problem was that most of those tended to be true.

"Kudou!"

So could you really blame him for lashing out when a ghostly figure clad in white dropped from seemingly nowhere behind them and said "boo"? Hattori's fist swung through the air on reflex but the new arrival easily dodged it and, also out of reflex, grabbed his extended arm and yanked, tipping him off balance and sending the surprised detective sprawling. Kazuha shrieked, but then the lights came on and Ran was by her side, holding her shoulders and exclaiming for her to calm down.

"We're so sorry!" Ran said, looking flustered as several other people crowded into the room. "Kuroba-kun had everything planned out and we didn't think it would be any trouble playing along."

Hattori groaned, rubbing the back of his head as he sat up. "That was some welcome."

The young man who had thrown him stepped up to his side and offered him an apologetic grin. "Sorry about that. It was self defense."

"Nah, don't mention…" Looking up at the stranger, Hattori trailed off, his mouth gaping. If he hadn't known better, he would have sworn it was the real Kaitou KID standing in front of him. But then he'd seen more than enough people dressed as the infamous thief on his way here. The man was just that popular. "I don't think we've met. You would be?"

"I'm Shin-chan's new boyfriend," Kaito declared cheerfully without missing a beat.

Heiji laughed, obviously not believing him. "Right."

"Oh, I assure you that I'm perfectly serious."

The Osaka detective blinked then looked at Shinichi who tried not to look too embarrassed while he confirmed, "He's serious."

This time, Hattori's jaw hit the floor. There were just so many things that didn't make sense about those few short sentences, starting with "boyfriend" and "Shinichi". Apparently enjoying his shock, the stranger took off his white top hat and swept him a polite bow.

"Kuroba Kaito, at your service, Kaitou KID's number one fan and soon-to-be best magician this world has ever seen."

"Well that's very modest of you," Hattori said, raising an eyebrow as he got to his feet.

"Of course." Kaito smirked and put the hat back onto his head, indigo eyes gleaming behind his monocle. "I am the epitome of modesty."

Beside him, Shinichi snorted and Kaito's smirk widened.

Soon after that, the Shounan Tantei arrived, all in costume and ready with empty pillow cases for maximum harvest. They chattered excitedly over the decorations Kaito had put up around the manor and, after a quick tour, gathered beside the front door to wait for the magician.

"Hey, Shin-chan, I'm taking the kids out trick-or-treating. You know how to find me if you need me. See you in a few." And with a wink, Kaito was gone, leaving Shinichi to finish up the conversation he knew he and Hattori would have to have sooner or later.

The two detectives fixed their own plates of food then sat at the table a little apart from the others. It was the first time Kazuha had met Eisuke and Ran was happily engaged in introducing them to one another. They listened to the three of them converse for a good few minutes before Hattori finally broke the silence.

"I know he said it was a costume," he said slowly, "but are you sure he's not really KID?"

Shinichi gave his friend a completely deadpan look. He wasn't much good at acting, but it wasn't hard to muster the right kind of incredulity when he stepped back and thought—really _thought_—about the situation. "You're asking me if I'm dating Kaitou KID?"

The other detective opened his mouth then shut it again and shook his head. "Nah, you're right. That's ridiculous."

Funny really how many things in real life actually _were_.

.

It was long past midnight by the time everyone else had gone home. Kaito and Shinichi had made sure the three children made it back safely then set about cleaning up the remnants of the small party.

"Was the magic show really necessary?" Shinichi asked, rinsing the particles off the last plate and placing it into the dishwasher.

Kaito chuckled, exchanging the dirty tablecloth on the kitchen table for a clean one with a wave of his hand. "No, but the children loved it."

That was true. They'd especially loved the part where Kaito had conjured several chocolate bars out of seemingly thin air and handed it out to them.

Starting up the dishwasher, Shinichi dried his hands and sank tiredly onto one of the kitchen chairs. "I wonder when my parents will be getting back."

Kudou Yuusaku and his wife had left for a Halloween party of their own earlier that afternoon.

Kaito shrugged, dumping the last plateful of candy wrappers into the trash can. "Who knows? Think they'd mind if I stayed the night?"

"Probably not. You three seem to get along frighteningly well."

"Frighteningly, huh?" Washing his hands, Kaito surveyed the now pristine kitchen one last time and whistled. "We make a pretty efficient team, Shin-chan. There's still some coffee left. Do you want to finish it?"

"Sure, why not?"

Pouring the leftover brew into two cups, Kaito brought it over to the table and sat down across from him. He took a sip from his own mug before making a face and going for the sugar.

"I'm not sure Hattori's entirely convinced, you know."

Kaito observed his detective over the rim of his cup, wondering why he looked so troubled. "Honestly, I wasn't expecting him to be. But it's enough. Hakuba's the same way. It doesn't matter as long as there's no solid proof. Besides, he's a good friend of yours. Don't you trust him?"

"I do. It's just…" Shinichi looked up and Kaito suspected that perhaps it was something else entirely on his mind. "How long can this all last? It's just my friends today. But what about tomorrow or the day after that? You can't hide from them forever. What if they find out? What if someone figures out who you are, someone that we don't know or can't trust? What will you do then?"

So that was what was worrying him. The magician couldn't say he hadn't considered the same questions many times himself, though it felt almost surreal to be sitting here actually talking to someone about it. People so rarely realized how much ofa luxury it was to be able to talk about things with anyone.

Still, touching though it was to know that Shinichi worried about him, he'd really rather his detective not stress himself out over things that neither of them could change. So Kaito just grinned his mysterious, razor-edged KID grin and gave him the only answer he'd been able to come up with himself. "Then I guess I'd have to disappear."

The magician said it so casually. And yet for some reason, the answer made Shinichi feel oddly cold inside. Because he knew by now that Kaito never said anything without reason.

"Where would you go?"

Kaito shrugged. "Don't know, just Away until it's the right time to come back."

"And you'd come back," Shinichi repeated, half asking and perhaps half looking for a promise.

Kaito's grin softened into a smile and he moved around the table to draw the detective into a kiss. And Shinichi hoped that that was his way of saying yes.

.

"Shin-chan!"

Shinichi's eyes widened but he didn't have any time to hide before his mother pounced on him, smothering him in a bone-crushing hug.

"Be a dear and go shopping with Mommy today, won't you? You're father's being such a _bore_."

Prying himself out of his mother's clutches, Shinichi sighed. "Do I have a choice?"

His mother had been giving his father dirty looks ever since they got back from that Halloween party a week ago. Shinichi didn't know what had happened but it was easy enough to guess. Yukiko routinely accused her husband of cheating on her and her foul mood would persist until she saw fit. And her favorite pastime while she was still angry was to rant to her son about "his father's" many faults. It was futile to resist. Though Shinichi firmly believed her accusations were nothing more than paranoia, he still had to wonder sometimes just what his father did to give rise to such complaints. His mother was a lot of things, but she wasn't an idiot.

Yukiko pouted. "Don't make it sound like such a chore. Now, go get ready and meet me outside in ten minutes."

"Okay, okay." Polishing off the last of his coffee—er, breakfast—Shinichi dragged himself up to his room to change. On the way, he picked up his cell phone and, after some consideration, texted Kaito.

'_Mom's making me go shopping with her. Save me.' _

The magician's reply came back almost immediately_. 'Are you sure? You could use a wardrobe change.'_

Shinichi rolled his eyes at that. _'Well, at least don't leave me alone with her.'_

There was a pause before Kaito wrote back and he could just imagine the magician laughing at him. _'Can do.' _

Kaito didn't ask him where they were going, Shinichi noticed, and he wondered idly if the magician had bugged him. Or maybe he was actually somewhere close by and intended on catching them before they left or following them to their destination. Oh well, better not to dwell on it. Dating KID could really make a person paranoid.

Kaito didn't put in an appearance until his mother had parked her car with a screech of protesting tires. Shinichi silently thanked whatever god was listening that he was still alive and stumbled from the passenger's seat, hoping he wasn't going to be sick. Good thing he hadn't really eaten anything beforehand. The next thing he knew, familiar arms caught and steadied him and the person was rubbing soothing circles on his back.

"Careful there. You look a bit green."

"I owe it to my mother's driving," he muttered, relaxing into the touch.

"Ah, that bad?"

"You have no idea."

"Kaito-kun!" Yukiko exclaimed, getting out of the car as well and beaming. "What a delightful surprise. Will you be joining us then?"

"Yes, if you don't mind the intrusion."

Shinichi didn't have to look to know that Kaito was giving his mother one of his best winning smiles.

"Of course not! It'll be a regular family outing. And you two make such a cute couple."

Shinichi groaned into Kaito's shirt. Her enthusiasm always spelled bad things.

The shopping spree began normally enough. Yukiko ushered them into the first store they saw and began trying on different outfits and demanding their opinion. Luckily, Kaito seemed to know all the right things to say. He agreed and disagreed with her over all the right things and flattered her shamelessly every other sentence. Watching from the sidelines, Shinichi found himself wondering idly if his father ever acted like this and if that was why his mother got so jealous. Not that he was jealous or anything—of course not. As long as Kaito could keep his mother's attention off of Shinichi himself, he was happy. The problem was that somewhere along the way, the magician seemed to forget that he was there to "help" Shinichi and joined his mother in scrutinizing said detective with a speculative look that made him want to find a dark corner to hide in. The next thing he knew, he was being ushered into one of the empty dressing rooms with such a massive pile of clothes in his arms that he couldn't even see over the top.

"Kaito," he found himself whining—yes, whining, which just went to show how desperately he did not want to have to try all of these outfits on, "you're supposed to be _helpin_g me, not helping my mother torture me."

The magician put on an expression of utter astonishment, which Shinichi was sure was a hundred percent fake. "Torture is such a strong word, Shin-chan. And I _a_m helping you. Your wardrobe needs lots of help. Don't look so horrified. I assure you I've got very good taste."

"In what?"

"In everything," Kaito said matter-of-factly. "But in this case, I'm talking about clothes. Now go try them on. Unless you want my help?"

Shinichi mulled over his words for a second then made a mad dash for the dressing room before Kaito could decide that he wanted to change the detective's clothes for him. He didn't need this turning into a magic show. The last thing he wanted was for the entire store to participate in the compilation of his new wardrobe.

Thankfully, it turned out that the magician really did have pretty good taste. Perhaps because of his own athletic tendencies, the garments he picked out tended to be fairly comfortable as well as presentable. He had an eye for more formal wear that didn't chafe or feel too restrictive.

Ten outfits later, Shinichi had only vetoed one set for being a bit too clingy for his comfort, one for being a tad too flashy, and one for being… Well, something he wouldn't be caught dead in. Overall, he was starting to feel almost comfortable with this particular shopping experience.

That was until he picked up the next article of clothing to discover that it was, in fact, a dark blue dress.

"Kaito!"

He could just hear the smirk in Kaito's voice when he replied—he didn't even have to look to know what Shinichi's shriek was about. "Hey, believe it or not, that one was picked out by your mother. Not that I wouldn't love to see you in it."

"Mom!"

.

It wasn't until November that Shinichi's parents finally, finally left again to resume their travels around the world. Yes, Shinichi loved them. But really, he could not have been happier to see them go.

As the two departing figures at last disappeared beyond the gate amidst the crowd of the airport, Shinichi let out a relieved sigh.

Kaito chuckled, draping an arm across his shoulders. "Peace and quiet at last?"

"Not with you around," Shinichi muttered, but he couldn't help but smile. No more crazy shopping sprees. No more being dragged around to meet his parents' crazy friends. No more impromptu family vacations or seriously not funny family pranks, at least not until the next time his parents decided to visit home. Yes, life was definitely looking a lot better right now.

"I don't know. I kind of like having your parents around," Kaito mused. They started to move towards the doors leading to the parking lot but paused before one of the giant windows that let people look out across the runway lined with lights to make them visible despite the darkness of the night.

Shinichi would have snorted at this comment but stopped himself. Honestly, he supposed it was easy to understand why. For the longest time, Kaito's own family had just been him and his mother. Things could never really be quiet with the magician around, but maybe it just wasn't quite the same thing. Family meant something different when you knew what it was like to lose it. So instead, he only said, "They'll be back."

Most likely sooner than Shinichi would like. His parents tended to have great timing that way.

"Hmmm."

Kaito examined their reflections upon the glass with an oddly distracted look in his usually unreadable eyes.

"It would be about Thanksgiving right now in America."

Shinichi mumbled an agreement, unconsciously leaning closer to his partner's warm side. Maybe he should have worn a thicker jacket, but he hadn't known how late his parents' flight was going to be until after dinner, which they had eaten out. By then it had really been a moot point.

"So what are you grateful for, Shin-chan?"

"Other than the fact that my parents will be spending it in America?"

"Yes, other than that."

Shinichi blinked rapidly. Staring at the runway lights was starting to make his vision go blurry. It really did suddenly seem so quiet with his parents gone and his body seemed to decide that this was its cue to relax. Not that Kaito wasn't more than worthy of wariness himself, but well, there wasn't anything anyone could do to stop the master thief from doing whatever it was he wanted so what was the point in fretting?

"I don't know," Shinichi said finally in answer to Kaito's question. "I guess I'm grateful that life seems to finally be getting back to normal. I'm glad that everyone's happy, and that I haven't had a murder case in two weeks."

Kaito made a strange sound in his throat at that last one but refrained from making any comments. He still thought there was something strange about how many murders his detective ran into on a regular basis. That police officer's suggestion of seeing an exorcist—which Shinichi had told him about once when they were discussing his time as Conan—was definitely starting to sound a lot less ridiculous than one might think. If only he could convince Shinichi to give it a try. The last time he'd brought it up though, Shinichi had simply retorted that if Kaito's own ridiculous good luck didn't balance him out, he doubted an exorcist would be any good. Then again, maybe the fact that he hadn't had a murder case in two weeks meant that the magician was indeed having a positive affect on the matter.

"What about you?"

The magician hummed thoughtfully. "Ah, where to start? There are always so many things. I'm grateful that I have you here with me."

Shinichi snorted turning his face away in an attempt to hide the color rising in his cheeks. Kaito said things like that all the time, but he didn't think he would ever get used to it. "Thanks, but you don't win points for being charming with me."

The magician laughed and Shinichi could feel the reverberation of it in his chest when the magician moved to pull him into his arms. It was oddly comforting really.

"Think what you like, but I'm being quite serious." Kaito lapsed into a contemplative silence for several more minutes and the detective shifted just a little nervously in his grasp, wondering what was on his mind. When Kaito finally spoke again, the words were murmured so quietly into Shinichi's ear that he almost didn't catch them despite their close proximity. "And I guess I'm just grateful that I'm alive."

That comment could mean so many things, Shinichi thought. For a person down on his luck, it could be seen as rather optimistic in its way, looking forward, looking up. For someone really in love with life and living, it would merely be a reaffirmation of all life had to offer. But to Shinichi's homicide detective mind, the comment was imbued only with a sense of relief, a morbid reminder of the dangers always lurking on the edges of the lives they led.

He didn't say anything though, just let himself be steered towards the parking lot and the car that would finally take them home for the night that was rapidly turning into early morning. Because Shinichi was very grateful for that too.

* * *

><p><strong>TBC…<strong>

* * *

><p>.<p> 


	3. Winter

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

**Pairings**: Kaito x Shinichi

**WARNINGS: Shounan ai (boy/boy pairing), you have been warned **

* * *

><p><strong>With Each Season<strong>

**By V. Shalyr**

* * *

><p><strong>3. Winter<strong>

Shinichi woke to the shrill ringing of his cell phone. Forcing open bleary eyes as he reached automatically for the device on the nightstand, he noticed that the sliver of sky through the window curtains was still dark. Whoever it was had better have a good reason for calling him at this hour.

"Hello?"

"Kudou, is Kuroba with you?"

Resting his head back against the pillow, Shinichi blinked hazily at the ceiling above his head. Something was wrong about Hakuba's voice on the other end of the phone but he couldn't quite place it. It sounded almost like tightly controlled panic, not an emotion he was accustomed to hearing from the blonde. "What? Kaito? No, he isn't. Why?"

When the silence dragged on and the other detective didn't answer, Shinichi sat up. Growing alarm was chasing the last vestiges of sleep away in a hurry. "Did something happen?"

"There was a fire at his mother's house," Hakuba said finally. "Their neighbors called the police. They said they heard gunshots."

Shinichi's blood ran cold. The knuckles of the hand that was gripping his phone were turning white. "And?"

"His mother is in the hospital right now, but we can't find him. I tried his apartment, but no one seems to be home."

Fighting the sick feeling tying his stomach into knots, Shinichi scrambled out of bed. "I'll be there right away."

He didn't really want to think about what could have happened but his mind was already laying out all the possibilities starting with the worst possible scenarios. This was not how he had wanted to wake up today.

.

The police station was abuzz with activity when Shinichi arrived. It had been a vicious fire and many officers hovered over the photographs taken of the scene in varying states of shock. It just wasn't the kind of crime one expected in what appeared to be a perfectly ordinary and relatively quiet neighborhood.

"It couldn't have been an accident," Hakuba was saying as Shinichi slipped into the conference room. "The neighbors said they heard gunshots."

His brown eyes flickered towards the newcomer as he moved up to join them all around the table and he gave a curt nod of acknowledgement.

"They said they _though_t they heard gunshots," one of the officers Shinichi had never seen before pointed out, sounding somewhat hopeful that this really was all just an accident after all. "And the fire did start in the kitchen. Some explosions could have been mistaken…"

He trailed off under the blond detective's skeptical glare.

Shinichi could hardly look at the pictures. There was almost nothing left of the place, and he had the fleeting thought that it was lucky Kaito had moved his personal workshop to his own apartment. There would have been hell to pay if a fire had gotten into the magician's crazy supplies.

A heavy silence fell when the two detectives were at last left alone in the office. For a long moment after the door had closed behind the last of the other officers, they just stared hard at one another, each weighing the current emergency against their differences.

"Do you know where he might have gone?" Hakuba asked finally, his voice careful.

"Not exactly," Shinichi said, equally carefully. He'd called Jii on the way to the station but the old assistant had been just as in the dark. What had happened? What had changed so suddenly that had led to all this?

_The charade could only go on for so long_, a little, traitorous voice at the back of his mind reminded him. Their lives might have seemed peaceful on the surface, but that didn't mean he could forget about the secrets that lurked in the darkness beyond the light that was the past several months. He just hadn't wanted to think about them, hadn't wanted to remember the facts because for the first time in what felt like forever, life had seemed to be getting back on track and he'd been _happy_.

His hands clenched and unclenched restlessly as his eyes wandered back to the conference table. He had to calm down and think about this logically. What had changed? Well, they must have figured out who KID was—who Kaito was and made their move when he'd gone to visit his mother. His mother—Kuroba Chikage had been hurt. Shinichi's stomach churned at the thought. Kaito would probably be angry, but his survival instincts should prevent him from doing anything rash. It also meant that the attack would have been very sudden and the magician wouldn't have been able to leave any clues behind for him. Besides, it wouldn't have been a safe move anyway. He'd already made it clear that he wouldn't do anything that he thought would put Shinichi in danger's way.

"_You can't hide from them forever. What if they find out? What if someone figures out who you are, someone that we don't know or can't trust? What will you do then?" _

"_Then I guess I'd have to disappear." _

He had to assume that that meant the magician was on the run, hiding out somewhere and erasing his tracks so his enemies couldn't follow him.

"What are you thinking?" Hakuba asked, interrupting his train of thought.

Shinichi took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Kaito wouldn't want him to freak out. He'd expect him to know him better than that by now. It was too early to be freaking out anyway. "I don't think we'll be able to find him."

Of course, that didn't mean that they weren't going to look.

But Kaito would be okay, he had to be. KID simply didn't get caught. Heaven knew Shinichi and countless other detectives and police had tried enough times to do just that. Kaito might be missing, but he had to be fine and he would come back when he was ready. Whatever else, he had to believe that.

"Will you let me know if anything occurs to you?"

Shinichi didn't answer right away. It was strange. He'd been so uneasy every time before when he'd encountered the blond detective over the matter of Kaitou KID and his civilian counterpart. But right now, he just felt oddly detached. Kaito probably wouldn't want him to give away any of his secrets either, but Shinichi thought that they at least owed it to Hakuba as a friend to allay some of his concerns because even he could read the anxiety on his face.

"I will."

And in the meantime, they had a group of criminals to catch, one that had injured Kuroba Chikage and burned her house to the ground. One that specialized in the search for one particular jewel.

.

The two months before he saw Kaito again were the worst two months of Shinichi's life. And he began it with a phone call to his father.

"_So it's finally come to this, has it?" _

"_Can you help me?" _

"_I suppose it would be pointless to ask if you're sure you want to get involved." _

"_Dad—" _

"_I know, I know." It was never easy to sit by and do nothing. It hadn't been easy to hear of Toichi's death either all those years ago, wondering if there was something he could have done. Even if he hadn't been as close to the magician as Shinichi was with his son, he had still been a very good friend, the kind of friend you didn't find very often in a lifetime. "You have my research files on KID?" _

"_Yes." _

"_Check the numbers I used to label his different heists. There should be some folders in my research material that have numbers only and no titles. Some of them should match up. Look them over. They might be helpful, but I can't promise anything. It's been a long time." _

"_That's fine… And, Dad?" _

"_Yes?" _

"_Thank you." _

"…_You're welcome. And good luck, son. I hope that everything turns out for the best." _

By the time Shinichi had sorted out all the related documents, the desk in the library was completely obscured by neat little stacks of paper. Ten years of heists for the first Kaitou KID beginning with his debut in Paris plus the four to five years so far of the second created a lot of information just in themselves—newspaper clippings, magazine articles, police reports, the list could just keep going on. It wasn't those articles that Shinichi was actually looking for but he found himself reading through them anyway, comparing them to the heists he'd attended and wondering at the legend that Kaito and his father had created. At the same time, it felt strange to only be really finding out about these things now from these old reports when he'd spent so much time with the thief himself.

But it was too late to regret not having insisted that Kaito let him do more in his case. He was getting involved in the investigations now and it was better late than never.

He and Hakuba had reached a sort of understanding. Shinichi never said anything about Kaito or KID to him directly—he refused to add to the risks Kaito was taking by doing that, but he would leave bits of relevant information where the other detective would find them. That wasn't to say there weren't a few close calls or slip-ups on their parts.

"_Jewel thieves? More of them?" _

"_Don't just group them together like that," Shinichi snapped, bristling a little at the suspicious incredulity in the other detective's voice. ""Don't make it sound like they're all the same." _

_His nerves were stretched to the breaking point as it was. Patience was currently not one of his virtues. _

"_But you can't tell me there isn't a connection," Hakuba retorted equally sharply. Unlike Shinichi, patience had never been one of his virtues, not when it came to things like this. He was a bit like Hattori that way though they'd both die before they admitted that they had anything in common. _

_Shinichi took a deep breath and let it out slowly, forcing himself to relax. He'd been researching jewel thefts committed over the past twenty years or so for several days straight and it was starting to get frustrating. It wasn't that he hadn't turned up any clues. It was just… Well, how could the people who had investigated those cases missed so much? How many more crimes could have been committed that none of them even knew about? Why was it that everyone that came to be important to him had to get mixed up in cases like this? _

"_All I'm saying is that these people might be involved somehow with the people responsible for what happened to Kaito and his mother," Shinichi said finally. "It looks like they might have known Toichi." _

_Hakuba was silent for a long time, perhaps realizing at last that they were both frustrated and bringing up KID in any way was probably not a good idea in present company. _

"_Then again, I suppose a lot of people knew Kuroba Toichi," he conceded at last. "He did base a few of his stage performances upon the mythology around certain precious stones, if I remember correctly. I'll look into it." _

_Shinichi nodded. "I'll let you know if I find anything else." _

In return for his assistance, Hakuba provided him with whatever information the police turned up in regards to the case of the fire and the gunshots. For one thing, it seemed that the chances were high the perpetrators had been hired by somebody else, and that with more work, they might be able to track down at least one of them. Their work at the house hadn't been as "clean" as it had appeared upon first glance. Perhaps they'd gotten desperate to get rid of KID and grown sloppy in their execution. Or more likely, it was just because Kaito was involved. And when Kaito was involved, other people's plans never worked out the way they wanted.

Ironically, seeing as there hadn't been any KID heists lately, the KID Taskforce had been assigned to assist him. It was a twist in events Shinichi was sure Kaito would have found amusing.

And when Shinichi could, he visited Kaito's mother in the hospital. She still hadn't woken up yet and he was starting to get very worried. Then again, perhaps it was a blessing for her to remain unconscious awhile longer. He could hardly imagine how she would feel having to deal with the death of her husband and then now having to deal with the possible loss of her son. Life could be so unfair sometimes.

"_Oi, Kudou, what's wrong with you lately? Nee-chan said she hasn't seen you at all for four weeks!" _

"_I've been busy." Four weeks. Had it really been that long? _

"_Did some case come up that you didn't tell us about?" _

Shinichi had had to pause at that. Honestly, it hadn't occurred to him to tell Ran or Hattori about Kaito and the fire. He hadn't been trying to hide it or anything. It just hadn't crossed his mind amidst all the worry and work. He hadn't really been sleeping lately and everything was starting to flow together in his head. He really needed another cup of coffee.

"_Kudou? Hey, you still there?" _

To be honest, Shinichi wasn't sure. It seemed half the time these days, his mind was somewhere else trying to fit the puzzle pieces together, trying to figure out what to do, trying to pin down the perpetrators of this unrest. Trying to figure out how everything had gone wrong.

In the end, he'd explained the situation to Hattori as best he could while leaving out a few rather important details. The normally loud Osaka detective had listened without saying a word, and after the story was finished he'd continued to stay silent until finally, he'd said, _"I'll catch a train to Ekoda tomorrow to help. But really, I'm sure everything will work out." _

And Shinichi wondered briefly if maybe he'd said too much despite his best efforts. Because he had a feeling from the tone of his friend's voice that maybe he was starting again to at least suspect Kaito's secret. But if they couldn't trust their friends, who else was there? People weren't meant to do everything alone, not if they wanted to stay sane. That was why Kaito had sought him out to begin with wasn't it? Why he'd incorporated himself into Shinichi's life? And then again, maybe the magician had already gone a little too far over the edge to make it back completely, assuming he'd ever been completely on this side of the sanity line to begin with.

Perhaps the only good thing that came out of their collective anxieties was that Hakuba and Hattori stopped fighting. They still argued on occasion—they were so different that it was hard not to—but it held none of the spite that had colored their interactions before. And when they did begin to argue, one look at Shinichi's haggard appearance was usually enough to shut them up and put them back on task. If Shinichi hadn't been as worried and worn out as he was, he might have found the situation quite funny. But as it were, more often than not, he spent their discussions lost in his own private world.

That wasn't to say they didn't make progress. With all three detectives on the case and the extensive documentation and research provided by Shinichi's father, they quickly pinpointed one particular ring of criminals with an obsession for jewels and the occult. But that didn't solve the problem that Kaito was nowhere to be found. Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe it wasn't.

Two months.

Two months searching and investigating and worrying—two months _waitin_g and hoping that somehow, everything would put itself right, and then suddenly, the waiting was over.

.

Shinichi knew immediately that someone else was in his house when he finally returned home from the police station that evening. Though none of the lights had been turned on, there was an unfamiliar pair of shoes beside the door. He paused with his hand still on the doorknob, unsure if he should be running forward or away.

"Kaito?" he ventured hopefully.

For a moment, there was no response. The house remained as silent as it had been for the last eight weeks. And then he was pushed forward into the foyer and the front door was shut behind him. He struggled instinctively against the arms that wrapped around him from behind trapping his arms to his sides until a familiar voice murmured in his ear.

"Shin-chan."

Shinichi stopped struggling. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest and he would have liked to turn around except that the other was holding him in such a way that it prevented him from doing so. "Kaito?"

"Tell me something only we would know," the magician said in reply, and Shinichi noticed for the first time how tense the man was behind him. The grip he had on him was gentle but unyielding, the kind that would have sent alarm bells ringing in his head if he hadn't been sure of who it was and that that person would never intentionally hurt him.

Thinking quickly, the detective said in an equally quiet voice, "You impersonated my physics professor last semester on the day we were supposed to have a substitute."

Kaito relaxed a little and chuckled though he didn't let go, "That was rather fun, wasn't it?"

"Are you all right?" He didn't think the magician would ever answer such a question with anything but an assurance, but he had to ask.

"More or less. I'm not injured, if that's what you're asking about. But I wouldn't try to sneak up on me. Not that it's ever a good idea, mind you, but right now, it could be seriously hazardous to your well being."

Shinichi could tell that much from the way he'd been welcomed home.

"Can I turn on the light?"

For a moment the thief hesitated, but then he loosened his embrace enough so that Shinichi could turn around, one hand reaching out for the nearby light switch as he did so. A moment later the foyer lights flickered on, momentarily blinding him with the sudden contrast. When the spots finally cleared from his vision, he got his first good look at Kaito. He was more than a little relieved to confirm that indeed, the magician seemed well, at least for the most part. Though now that he was facing him and the shadows of the room had been chased away, he could tell that Kaito was tired. He didn't have dark circles under his eyes and his overall appearance was as immaculate as ever, but there was something different in the way he held himself. It wasn't the kind of weariness that went away if you got a good night's sleep, and had more to do with the slightly haunted look behind his eyes.

"Kaito—"

"Shh," Kaito cut him off with a finger to his lips then leaned forward to capture said lips with his own.

The gesture was so comfortingly familiar and Shinichi melted into the caress. It had been such a long time and the tension and anxiety of the past two months had taken their toll. Still, this didn't mean he wasn't still worried and he still had so many questions.

"Kaito, what happened?" he asked, managing to pull away enough to speak.

"Later," Kaito murmured, transferring his attention to the ear presented to him when his detective had turned his head.

"But—"

"Not now," Kaito cut him off again, the tone of finality in his voice leaving no room for further protests. Pinning the detective against the wall, he tilted his head to capture his lips once more in a fierce kiss that seemed to be four-tenths passion and six-tenths desperation. And Shinichi gave up, a whimper escaping him when one of Kaito's hands found its way under his shirt.

What Kaito wanted, Kaito got. It was just one of those things that he'd come to accept about the eccentric magician, and it wasn't like he really objected.

Later, the two of them lay in bed, Shinichi's back pressed against Kaito's chest and the magician's arm wrapped tightly around his waist.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" Shinichi asked finally, exhausted but still determined to hear some sort of answer before his mind completely shut down on him.

Kaito didn't say anything for so long that he almost opened his mouth to ask again. But then, "There isn't really much to tell. They were waiting for me at Mom's place."

He paused and the detective could almost feel the anger rolling off him even though his voice was level when he continued. "I guess they thought having her there would make it easier to bully me into doing what they wanted."

Kaito chuckled darkly at the recollection though there wasn't any humor in the sound. "They gave me the feeling that they've found some sort of lead to Pandora that I don't know about. In any case, I couldn't let them kill her but I wasn't exactly going to lend them my services either. I think you can guess what happened. Some fights have to be fought, no? I think I managed to convince them that I didn't care that much about Mom, so they shouldn't go after her again. But to be safe, I'm going to ask Jii to stay with her."

"And after the fight, you left."

"I did. What else was I supposed to do?"

"You could have come to me," Shinichi said quietly, trying not to sound hurt and probably failing.

"No, I couldn't."

"Why not?" _Don't you trust me? _

"My mother is in the hospital, Shinichi."

Shinichi flinched a little at the magician's voice, completely devoid of emotion. It didn't suit him and it made the detective feel oddly cold inside.

"It's taken me this long to make sure that they won't be able to find me." _For now. _

"But I'm a detective. It's my job."

"And so you should know better than anyone that we're not immortal."

"Kaito…"

There was only one thing in the world that the magician was truly afraid of and that was losing the people that he cared about in such a permanent manner. In some ways, that had always been an even more important reason for the existence of KID than keeping his anonymity.

"Talk about it more tomorrow," Kaito murmured, shutting his eyes and burying his nose in Shinichi's hair. "It's late."

Shinichi wanted to protest but he bit his tongue. There wasn't much point in arguing further over the issue. What had happened had happened and it wasn't like they could go back and change that.

Letting his own eyes close, he finally, finally relaxed, taking comfort from the magician's presence after all this time.

Sometimes, loving someone hurt. But that's how you knew that you were alive. It was how you knew that they mattered.

.

"I've got a plan."

"That's nothing new," Shinichi pointed out, though he felt a pang of unease at the seriousness of the magician's expression. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like this plan. Well, most people didn't like Kaito's plans aside from Kaito himself, but that wasn't really the point here. He'd gotten used to _thos_e plans and accepted a long time ago that there was nothing he could do about them. This plan… He could already tell that this plan was something different altogether, probably something dangerous.

"We both know that I can't keep hiding from them. They'll find me eventually, especially now that they know who I am. So I'm going to make it a little more interesting."

"Interesting?" Shinichi wasn't at all sure he liked that word when Kaito used it.

"Yup. What better place to hide than right under their noses? And we can get some stuff done while we're at it."

"You're not serious, are you?"

"I assure you that I'm quite serious. You did say you've already pinpointed the group, and it'll be easy for me to find out about their joining procedures, and then I'll be set. To be honest, I've been considering it for awhile."

Shinichi stared worriedly into the depths of his coffee as though it could somehow provide him with the solutions to his anxieties. "I can't stop you, can I?"

"Don't look so glum, Shin-chan. I promise that I'll be careful. Life is too valuable for me to be careless. And I really just want to finish this business as quickly as we can."

"I know." The detective sighed and polished off half his mug in two gulps. He couldn't deal with this alone, and he hated the idea of him being the only one who knew Kaito was even in danger. Lifting his eyes, he caught Kaito's gaze. "Can we please get Hattori and Hakuba in on this? I mean, they're already involved and I'd feel better about it."

Shinichi held his breath, not looking away from the magician's suddenly blank face. He knew it was asking a lot, especially coming on the tail of everything that had already happened—maybe too much.

Kaito's mind raced. Give away one of his dearest secrets to more people? And detectives, no less? The idea put a sour taste in his mouth and made his hackles rise a little. But at the same time… At the same time, his Tantei-kun looked so tired. Even though Kaito had been the one on the run for the past two months, Shinichi was the one who appeared totally worn down.

"I'll do everything I can to make sure they don't arrest you," he added, not needing to be able to read the magician's expression to guess at his doubts. "And if something goes wrong and you end up in jail because of this, I'll go with you. Or we can go into hiding, whichever you want."

Because Shinichi highly doubted that any prison could hold the master magician for long against his will. And Kaito loved freedom too much not to fight for it with everything he had.

Indigo eyes widened a fraction at his words. Shinichi would give up everything he had here just for him? Of course he'd known that the detective loved him, but somehow, it was still an earth-shattering revelation—perhaps even more so because they were a detective and a thief. Despite his best efforts to guard against it, perhaps he'd still gotten a little too caught up in dealing in lies and illusions—to the point where these real, solid things had started to become so surreal. But then that was why he'd come back, wasn't it? That was why he'd sought out this particular detective in the first place, why he'd gone all out to ensure that they had an irreplaceable place in each other's lives.

"I don't like it," the thief said finally, holding his gaze and reaching out to rest a hand lightly against his detective's cheek, "but fine. I'll agree to that, but only because you're the one asking."

And some sacrifices were worth making for the people that you loved.

.

Walking into the small conference room at the Ekoda police station that morning was like walking into a war zone just before the start of the battle. Hattori had never felt so much palpable tension in one place before. Shutting the door behind him, the Osaka detective looked from one of the room's two other occupants to the other, wondering what was going on.

"Have I missed something?"

Kudou looked different today. That haunted, half desperate look had gone from his eyes, replaced by a calm determination that Hattori was more accustomed to seeing on his face. He still looked tired, but he also looked like he'd finally managed to get some real sleep.

"Kuroba's back, isn't he?" Hakuba asked, his scrutinizing stare not leaving their fellow detective.

Ah, that would explain the change. Hattori dropped into one of the empty chairs, grinning, "That's great! So where's he been? Is he all right?"

But his enthusiasm and relief faded a little when neither of his colleagues reacted. They continued to regard one another with a guarded wariness that Hattori found baffling. Of course, he'd sensed something was up with this whole case from the beginning, and he'd known that it had something to do with Kuroba Kaito. But what that was, he hadn't been able to be sure. From his encounters with the eccentric magician however, he could be fairly certain that he was a good man, whatever else he might be and he trusted Kudou's judgment, so he hadn't inquired into the business. They had had more important things to worry about. But now, sometime between Kuroba coming back and this meeting, something had changed.

Shinichi took a deep breath, glancing sternly from Hakuba to Hattori then back again. "I want you both to swear that no matter what you might see or hear or whatever else from here on out, you won't turn him in to the police."

Hattori blinked then blinked again. "What are you…?"

He trailed off, an image flashing across his mind of a certain Halloween party some time ago. The Halloween when he'd first been introduced to Kuroba and the magician had greeted him dressed as Kaitou KID. He'd wondered then about that and about how strangely suitable the persona seemed to be, but had dismissed it then as a logical impossibility. Now… Now, he was starting to think that his initial impression had been the more accurate conclusion. There was, in fact, such a thing as over thinking things.

"Do you realize what you're asking?" Hakuba demanded.

Shinichi glared. "Don't treat me like a fool. I'm perfectly aware of what I'm asking, and I also know what's important and what's not. You two might not be the best of friends, but you can't tell me that you haven't been worried, which means that deep down, you must at least suspect that you know what's important too."

"Did Kuroba put you up to this?"

"If it were up to him, neither of you would even know he was back," Shinichi said dryly.

"Okay, hold on a minute here, you two," Hattori interrupted, holding up both his hands in a placating gesture. "We're talking about Kuroba here, right? Kuroba, who also happens to be Kudou's boyfriend and—"

"And Kaitou KID," Hakuba finished, voicing aloud his long-standing suspicions for the first time during one of their meetings.

Hattori's mouth formed a silent "oh" and he contemplated this for a moment before saying, "So what's the problem?"

It was the blonde's turn to be struck momentarily speechless. "He's a criminal."

"Yeah, okay, but it's not like he ever hurts anyone, right? He doesn't even really steal anything. I mean, he does, but he always gives it back." Hattori scratched the back of his head, looking thoughtfully at their Beika colleague. "And I'm guessing there's something big going on, isn't there? Or you wouldn't be telling us this."

Shinichi shot his friend a grateful look. One thing he'd always appreciated about the Osaka detective was that he tended to have his priorities straight when it mattered, or at least his priorities and Shinichi's priorities tended to have more in common. "Yes, but first, I want you two to promise."

When lunchtime finally came, Shinichi excused himself from the office and made his way outside, scanning the street as he went. Out around behind the building, he found a man sitting on the small park bench reading a newspaper. Shinichi sat down beside him and glanced at the paper bag between them.

"Lunch," the man said in a gruff voice without looking at him. "I've already eaten."

The detective nodded and opened the bag, pulling out a sandwich and a carefully balanced cup of coffee. "They agreed."

"I heard."

"Do you want to tell them the rest?"

The man Kaito was masquerading as didn't stop in reading the article in front of him, but Shinichi could tell that he was thinking it over. "I think I'd rather you went ahead and explained things. I chose to tell you. Telling you meant something special. I don't want to tell them."

Shinichi pondered this, looking at nothing in particular over the rim of his coffee cup. "All right, but do you want to be there?"

"I'll be watching and I'll be listening, but they aren't going to see me."

Listening to Shinichi tell the other two detectives about Pandora, his father, and about Snake made Kaito feel more restless than anything. If he hadn't already promised, he might have stopped him. As it were, he had to content himself with deriving some modest amusement from their reactions and bottling up the restlessness for when he had time for it. He'd have to kidnap his Shin-chan for dinner out later. Since getting back, he couldn't seem to let the detective out of his sight. He would have liked to visit his mother in the hospital as well, but he couldn't risk it, especially while she was still unconscious and unable to defend herself.

"_You can't honestly believe that there's a gemstone out there that can make people immortal. Hell, he can't honestly believe that either can he?" _

And that would be Hakuba of course. No imagination at all.

"_Does it matter?_" He could hear the frown in Shinichi's voice and he smiled a little. "_People have been killed for it._"

"_Guess that's why the group we've been researching seems so cult-like_," Hattori mused aloud. "_It also explains why they don't only target pricy stones. It's not about their market value._"

Cult-like, huh? That did seem like a pretty fitting description from what he'd learned of the crime ring. A bunch of frightened, greedy, and dangerous people who wanted more than anything to cheat death. The corner of his lips quirked in a humorless grin. And people thought KID was crazy.

"_So do you two have a plan?_"

"_He… wants to go undercover and join them._" And he could tell just from his voice that Shinichi was still extremely unhappy with this plan.

"_Is he insane?"_

And apparently, the other detectives shared his opinion on this point.

"_They've only been trying to kill him for the past—how many years?_"

"_I've been trying to talk him out of it all morning, but I think he's made up his mind. He'll provide the insider information, point us in the right direction, help figure out what we're looking for and who to investigate, and we'll track down and acquire the evidence._"

"…_It's dangerous, but it could work. And it would be one of the quickest ways, I suppose_."

Amazing, it seemed that he and Hakuba actually agreed on something for a change. But perhaps that was bound to happen sooner or later at least once seeing as the blonde detective wasn't a complete idiot.

"_We'll have to work out a way for him to pass information to us safely_," Hattori mused aloud. "_I don't think he should take the risk of actually meeting up with us too often if it can be avoided_."

"_Good point_," Hakuba agreed—and it was kind of amazing that they were agreeing at all. "_Any ideas, Kudou?_"

In the end, Kaito was honestly surprised at how smoothly the discussion went from there. And it was oddly touching to realize—or rather, to _remember_—that they had friends. Real friends that would stand beside them no matter what—people that you could trust.

"Maybe I _hav_e been a criminal for a little too long," he told Shinichi afterward. "Don't get me wrong. I love being KID. But it does get you into a certain kind of mentality."

Shinichi considered his words for a moment, stuffing his hands into his pockets as they made their way down the street. It felt weird talking about these things in a busy street, but then again, the noise actually made it much tougher for other people to overhear. "I don't think it's just criminals. I got pretty paranoid too when I was Conan with all that Black Organization business."

The magician hummed thoughtfully, guiding them towards a different district that they didn't frequent as often. Hopefully, it would have some decent restaurants. "I suppose that's a good argument for not being alone, hmmm?" He smirked, draping one arm over Shinichi's shoulders. "We need other people to keep us sane."

The detective snorted, but smiled fondly in return. "I'm not sure that word ever applied to you."

"Ah well, sanity's overrated anyway." Kaito waved his free hand, dismissing the subject and all their other worries for the time being. "What do you think of that shop over there? It looks promising."

.

Yamada Keigo moved to Ekoda a week later. He was an aspiring photographer with an eye for rare artifacts and a tragic past that could be the foundations for a fear of death and its unknowns. He started work at a local newspaper and somehow landed a position at some of the major jewelry conventions and shows in the city. Knowing Kaito, Shinichi rather suspected he'd probably charmed his way in, but it didn't really matter in the end how it was done. The magician already had some ideas on who it was he needed to get to know and set out to make that happen.

Working out a system to pass information back and forth between him and the three detectives proved to be an interesting mix of easiness and complexity. They had settled on not having too much of a standard since any real regulation put any code at risk of being deciphered. But even though they were all geniuses, their minds tended to work in very different ways. The magician would occasionally visit a restaurant where one of the detectives was stationed for the afternoon, place an order, and then leave said detective to figure out what he'd meant by whatever he'd chosen to eat or how he'd said the words. It wasn't just restaurants either. Any public venue would do—art galleries, bookstores, and even occasional murder scenes where both news photographers and detectives were expected. Luckily, while Kaito was all about how to hide things and deceive, riddles weren't much fun without people to solve them and the detectives were all about finding the right answers.

The hardest part, at least for Kaito and Shinichi, was the magician's cover. It was stressful having the person you cared about so close and yet be unable to interact with them. Kaito only snuck back into the Kudou manor every couple weeks when he couldn't stand being someone else anymore and needed some time just to be himself.

The only time Kaito had been tempted to risk his cover and appear as Kuroba Kaito in public had been the day that his mother had finally woken up. Shinichi had called to inform him and had spent a good ten minutes persuading him not to rush to her hospital room at once. Instead, Shinichi went to see her in his stead. Her prolonged stay in the hospital showed and she looked even paler and thinner awake than she had while she'd been unconscious.

She'd looked desperate when her gaze landed on Shinichi, but she hadn't quite been able to bring herself to ask the question that was really on her mind. But then Shinichi hadn't needed her to.

"_He's all right." _

Just three words, but it had been enough. She hadn't asked where Kaito was, hadn't asked what he was doing or even if he'd been injured during the incident or not. Maybe she knew that Shinichi wouldn't have been able to tell her. Or maybe it just made it easier to believe the best and hope that she was right. Honestly, it was a little depressing, but Shinichi could understand that. Hope was, after all, a very powerful thing. And sometimes, it was all they had that really mattered.

On the bright side, the information was steadily accumulating.

"This has to be one of the weirdest undercover operations ever," Hattori muttered, dropping onto the bench of the picnic table across from Shinichi and sliding a folder across to him. "I know we can't tell the police just who exactly we're getting our leads from, but it feels a little wrong at the same time—like we're misleading them or something."

"Information on informants is often more confidential," the Beika detective pointed out. "Besides, we're not misleading them in that it was this particular group that was responsible for what happened at Kuroba-san's house."

"I know." He opened the can of soda he'd brought with him and took a sip while he watched the other detective peruse the file he'd brought. "So how are you holding up? Nee-chan called Kazuha the other day and said she was worried you weren't getting enough sleep. Not that that hasn't been a longstanding concern, all considered."

Shinichi sighed. "You can't expect me not to worry."

"It's better than not knowing if he's dead or alive though, isn't it?"

Shinichi winced and lifted his gaze from the papers to glare at him. "Don't say things like that."

"Right, sorry. Guess that was a bit tactless." Hattori shook his head. "I still can't believe he's Kaitou KID. Well, I _can_, but I can't at the same time. Does that make sense?"

"No."

The Osaka detective snorted. "Tell me again, how did one of the world's greatest skeptics end up with the world's craziest criminal?"

"Now you're just being annoying."

"Hey, I resent that! I really do want to know. I mean, you have to admit it's kind of unexpected—at least from our perspectives. I think Hakuba's still having trouble with the idea."

This made the corner of Shinichi's mouth twitch. It seemed like the blond detective was doomed to be confounded by everything Kaito did even when the magician wasn't trying to rile him up on purpose. No wonder the magician picked on him so much. He was probably just too easy a target.

"You're spending way too much time with Kuroba if that's what cheered you up," Hattori observed, though he was grinning despite his words.

"Hattori, do you ever wonder what life would be like if we were all normal people?"

"Hey, speak for yourself. I'm perfectly normal."

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, yeah, like if we weren't detectives and if Kuroba wasn't a thief." Folding his arms behind his head, the dark-skinned detective gazed across the park where they'd decided to meet up. "I can see the perks of course. No seeing dead bodies everyday or worrying about the bad guys coming after us or the people we care about. But personally, I think it would also be boring as hell. You can't tell me you don't still get some satisfaction out of putting killers behind bars."

"Of course not," Shinichi scoffed. The idea was ridiculous. "I've always wanted to be a detective and that hasn't changed. That's not my point here. I mean if being detectives wasn't such a huge part of everything."

"You mean the whole "jobs eating up our lives" thing that Kazuha likes to complain about sometimes?"

"Yes, that."

"Yeah?"

"I think that's how Kaito and I ended up together."

His friend blinked and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry? I'm not seeing the connection here."

Shinichi sighed and reached for the thermos of coffee he had brought with him. This was such a strange topic to be discussing, but for some reason, he found that he wanted his friend to understand. He wasn't like Kaito. Being an enigma was practically one of the magician's main characteristics, but Shinichi didn't enjoy confusing all the people around him. People were complicated enough to deal with as it was.

"To be honest, everything was just so confusing after Conan. I was happy to change back, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss being Conan sometimes too. Life was so simple then." Setting the thermos down, Shinichi carefully shut the file folder. "So many things had changed when I got back to being myself. There were so many things to catch up on. It felt like I was so busy all the time but getting nowhere. Then KID—Kaito—came into it all. He saved my life during that last raid on the Black Organization, you know… I guess you could say that he reminds me that there are more important things in life than catching criminals. He can make life exciting just because it's _life_."

And maybe it had taken being Conan to really see how incredible a gift that was.

Hattori swirled the soda around in his can and took another gulp, thinking. Kudou almost never talked this much about himself so this was a rare opportunity to find out what his friend was thinking. He'd noticed the Beika detective growing more detached from the rest of them after taking the cure that sent Conan away for good. And now that he thought about it, it had been around the time he and Kuroba must have started dating that Shinichi had finally started to get back to what Hattori considered was normal. "So, what about Kuroba?"

Shinichi hesitated. Putting words to Kaito was never easy. "He says it's my job to keep him sane."

At any other time, Hattori might have cracked a joke about this. But as it was, he bit his tongue and waited for his friend to continue.

"I think… I think I remind him that he's not a criminal—or not the kind of criminal that we run into everyday. He's never really said anything outright to me about it, but I think he was looking for someone he could really trust. He likes fooling people and he's an expert at deception, but maybe that's all the more reason to have at least one person who understands you. And I think that being Conan made it easier for me to understand."

And of course, they both found the other intriguing in their own ways, but he figured that that went without saying. They'd always had an odd sort of relationship even before KID had become Kaito.

Catching sight of the expression on Hattori's face, Shinichi frowned. "What?"

"Nothing." The other detective shook his head ruefully. "It just feels weird, you being so philosophical about this. Makes you sound kind of old."

"Thanks," Shinichi said flatly. "See if I ever explain anything to you again."

Hattori waved his hand dismissively. "Whatever. I'm glad he went after you anyway. It sounds like you're good for each other. Besides, if this is Kuroba being sane, I'd hate to see what he'd be like if he was actually mad."

Shinichi chuckled. He certainly wasn't the only one.

.

"I was right. They've found it."

"You're joking, right?" Hattori asked incredulously.

Kaito gave him a crooked grin. "Whether it can really make a person immortal is still up for grabs. I'm not sure when they plan on finding out. But it does glow red in the moonlight and that's proof enough for them."

"I can't believe this," Hakuba muttered. "It's _impossible_."

"Obviously, it's not."

It was the first time all four of them had been in one room at the same time since this whole charade had begun. Through the gap in the window curtains of the main living room of the Kudou manor, you could make out the sky only just beginning to turn gray with the first signs of sunrise. Frost from the freezing temperatures of the night before still fogged the windowpanes, courtesy of the late December chill.

"The jewel and pretty much all the ring leaders are going to be at a Christmas party tonight," Kaito explained from his seat on the couch beside Shinichi. "It's our chance."

They looked at one another, all their expressions grim. It was hard to believe that everything was really so close to coming to its conclusion. They had been working so hard at this all around the clock.

"I'll get in touch with the officers," Hakuba said finally. "We'll be ready as soon as you get us the location."

"I'm going to see if we can get some backup," Hattori volunteered. "I'm pretty familiar with a lot of the Beika officers by now. And of course, we're going to have to make sure only the right people get wind of this."

"I'll send a riddle with everything you need to know by noon. It'll be in your office mailboxes."

Shinichi waited until the other two detectives had left before turning to Kaito. "So how are you getting in? I assume you're planning on being at the party or you wouldn't be able to give the signal." Or steal the gem, which he was a hundred percent sure the magician was planning on doing. He hadn't spent so much time searching for Pandora to allow it to fall into the hands of the police.

Kaito flashed him a grin. "I was invited, of course. I'm good with people."

"I've noticed," Shinichi said dryly. "I'm coming with you."

"Yes, you are."

The detective paused, taken aback. He'd been expecting to have to argue the matter. "I am?"

"Yup. You're coming as my girlfriend."

"I'm _what_?"

"Coming as my girlfriend," Kaito repeated cheerfully. "They all think I have one. It was the perfect excuse to sneak away now and then to visit you. I left your clothes on the bed for you. Get changed and we can go out for brunch—work on your mannerisms and the like so you're ready when the party comes around. I've got to pay a quick visit to the store. It shouldn't take me more than ten minutes."

And he was gone, leaving Shinichi to blink at the place where he had been in incredulity before expelling a resigned sigh and turning his feet towards the stairs. He was a little surprised when he saw just what Kaito had left for him. He recognized that dress. It was the same one his mother had made him try on that one time they'd all gone shopping together. He smiled just a little, shaking his head. The magician really was rather sentimental, though it showed up at the weirdest times sometimes. But perhaps that was an expected trait in a gentleman thief.

Well, he thought ruefully, holding the dress up and looking it over again, it could have been worse. For one thing, Kaito could have insisted on helping him dress.

.

"Ah, Yamada-san! So is this her?"

Shinichi drew back in alarm as a woman swept up to them, getting far too close as her eyes swept over him. Beside him, Kaito—or rather Keigo here—wrapped an arm around his waist and gave the woman one of his winning smiles. "It's good to see you, Maeda-san. And yes, this is my girlfriend, Kisaragi Shinko. Forgive her. She's a bit shy."

Glad for the excuse, Shinichi scooted a bit behind Kaito to put some distance between himself and the woman who was giving him a look he didn't particularly like—like she was trying to figure out what would be a discreet way of getting rid of him.

"Oh, that's okay. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kisaragi-san. I hope you enjoy the party." Maeda flashed him a smile that was all teeth before moving on to greet the next set of arrivals.

"That ruby she's wearing," Shinichi murmured under his breath.

"Stolen," Kaito confirmed, steering him towards the refreshments table, "from a very small museum in Paris four years ago."

Shinichi reached up to touch the sapphire pendant on its golden chain that Kaito had clasped around his neck shortly before they'd come. "And this?"

"I'll mail it back to the owner as soon as we're done with it," Kaito assured him, handing him a plate. "We needed to fit in and this _i_s a ring of jewel thieves who also happen to be jewel fanciers."

Shinichi tried not to grimace at the thought of wearing stolen jewelry. Before he could say anything more however, Kaito nudged him to let him know that someone else was approaching them.

"Yamada-san, I wanted to thank you personally for your help with our last little… project."

"No need. It was the least I could do for a chance at this." Kaito grinned and waved his hand to indicate the room around them. "I don't suppose I can have a look at the prize?"

The man laughed, the sound sending a strange chill down Shinichi's spine. Something told him that this wasn't a good man to be around, not that any of these people were that much better. Wrapped in their ill gotten luxuries and glamour, and yet none of that could hide the wretchedness of their character or the falseness of their cheer. For even now, here with their goal so close at hand, Shinichi could sense the undercurrent of fear.

The man clapped Kaito jovially on the shoulder and Shinichi felt the arm Kaito still had around him tighten as though the magician was resisting the urge to punch the man.

"In due time, Yamada-san. In due time."

"Who was that?" Shinichi asked when he'd finally gone.

For just a moment, Kaito let his mask slip enough for Shinichi to see the ice in his gaze, trained upon the departing figure's back. "He's the one who killed my father. Tried to kill me a couple of times too. He has a couple different aliases, but Father and I knew him as Snake."

Half an hour later, the man known as Snake got up on the dais at the front of the room and the people gradually fell silent. Kaito and Shinichi hardly paid attention to what he said though. All their attention was focused on the glass display case that was revealed when the curtains behind the dais were drawn aside. Resting upon a black velvet stand within it was a single diamond.

Kaito breathed in slowly to calm the sudden rush of adrenaline. He'd been searching for Pandora for so long. He didn't know if that was really the right gem, but he was going to find out as soon as Snake and his cohorts were safely in custody. In the chaos, appropriating it would be child's play.

Shinichi tapped his hand to get his attention and they casually moved towards the side of the room nearer the back door. Everyone that they needed to be there was there. Now all they needed to do was find a good vantage point to stay out of the main line of fire and where they would be able to cut off anyone who tried to make a run for it, and they could signal the police to make their move. Kaito's only regret was that Snake and all those other bastards would never know that he was the one who had tricked them all and given them away.

It wasn't exactly how either of them would have liked to spend their Christmas. It probably wasn't how any of the officers waiting outside would have liked to spend their Christmases either. But sometimes, perhaps more often than not, the right thing to do or the good thing to do wasn't what one liked. Though that didn't mean it couldn't be satisfying.

.

"Kaito?"

The dark figure on the edge of the roof didn't move. He'd been up here ever since they'd gotten home from the station that night. It was the last night they'd have to be at the Ekoda police station. All the paperwork and other things related to the raid on the criminal ring had finally been wrapped up. The day after the raid, Kaito had announced his return to Ekoda by paying a visit to the police. When asked about the incident with the fire, he told them that his father had run afoul of the cult during his work as a professional magician—not the whole truth, but enough of it for the pieces to fit together in the way that the magician wanted. He'd been on the run, he told them, and he'd also had a hand in providing the information that the three detectives had been using.

Most of the stolen gems had been recovered and returned to their owners. The only mystery left was what had happened to the jewel that the party had been thrown to celebrate. It had disappeared during the raid and hadn't been found on any of the people they'd arrested. Hattori and Hakuba had both looked at Shinichi when the subject had come up, but he had pretended not to notice and they couldn't ask without giving away information about Kaito that they had both sworn to keep to themselves. It didn't really matter anyway. By now, they knew how important that jewel was to him and that the magician would deal with it properly when he was ready.

Shinichi hesitated for a moment then made his way carefully across the slanted surface to sit beside him.

Kaito turned the large diamond over in his hand. In the moonlight, it glowed a bright, bloody red rather more sinister in Shinichi's opinion than magical.

"It was all over this," the magician mused aloud, "all because of this damned stone."

Shinichi didn't know how to reply. What could he say? Humans often fought over the pettiest of things. To think that this one, small gem could cause so much death and misery. Instead, he said, "It's the New Year tomorrow."

"It is, isn't it?"

Tossing the gem up into the air, Kaito made it vanish in a tiny puff of smoke. Tomorrow, he would destroy it and throw the dust into the sea, and the myth of Pandora and its eternal curse would become just that, a myth. And as for KID… Well, he hadn't quite decided what he wanted to do with KID after this, but he wasn't sure that he was ready to let go of his monocle just yet. There would at least have to be one more show, or two. Something to replace the darker memories of madmen and snipers and the things that he had almost but not quite let himself do. But that was a scheme for another time.

Finally looking at his companion, he grinned, indigo eyes bright in the darkness. "And what better way to celebrate a brand new beginning than to have a hot mug of our favorite drinks and watch the fireworks?"

Shinichi's brow furrowed. "But there aren't going to be any fireworks around here. They're scheduled to take place in a park all the way on the other side of the district."

Shinichi didn't need light to know that Kaito was smirking. He could hear it in his voice. "Oh, they changed their plans since that park is currently unsuitable."

"What did you do?"

"I didn't say I did anything."

"You didn't have to."

The magician just shrugged. He snapped his fingers and handed Shinichi one of the two mugs that appeared in his hands. "Coffee for my beloved detective and hot chocolate for myself. Stop worrying for once, Shin-chan, and just enjoy the show."

Wrapping his arm around Shinichi, he pulled him close and turned his head to press a kiss to his temple. "It's going to be an amazing year, I promise. And so is every year after that if I have anything to say about it."

Wrapping his hands around the warm mug, Shinichi shook his head but smiled. "I wouldn't expect anything else."

And so they watched the fireworks together from the roof of the Kudou manor, the rainbow-colored streamers painting the night sky with flashes of brilliance. And Shinichi agreed silently that it was, indeed, a wonderful way to really put the shadows of their past behind them and at last usher in the promises of a New Year.

* * *

><p><strong>TBC… <strong>

* * *

><p>.<p> 


	4. Spring

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

**Pairings**: Kaito x Shinichi

**WARNINGS: Shounan ai (boy/boy pairing), you have been warned **

* * *

><p><strong>With Each Season<strong>

**By V. Shalyr**

* * *

><p><strong>4. Spring<strong>

"_If this were a fairytale, you'd be the smart and selfless princess who sacrificed so much to protect her kingdom, and I'd be the mysterious magician with a dark past who helped her get back her life. And now would be the time we got married and lived happily ever after." _

"_I thought the princess was supposed to marry a knight. Or maybe a prince." _

"_But a magician is so much more interesting! ...I'm surprised you're not arguing about being the princess." _

"_What's the point?" _

"_Aww, Shin-chan, you used to be so easy to fluster. Now you just get all reasonable on me. What happened?" _

"_You happened. It's a self defense mechanism. Besides, there are far worse things than being considered a princess by you." _

"_That's certainly true." _

_They could both be dead, for one. Shinichi could never have gotten his life back. Kaito could have been killed in that fire. The Black Organization could still be at large... _

_They could have never met. _

_And being Kaitou KID's "princess" meant that the thief considered him someone very special to him, and Shinichi had to admit that he liked that. Liked knowing that he was special to Kaito. _

"_So then," Kaito said more quietly, folding his arms behind his head and lying back to gaze up at the stars, "are we going to live happily ever after?" _

.

The crowd in the street rang with cheers, screams, shouts, and laughter. Pressed against the side of a building and trying his utmost best not to be swept away by the masses, Shinichi could only shake his head. It seemed he only ever had to attend one of KID's heists to remind himself just why real, diehard fans were so… _frightening_. Woe to anyone who dared insult the infamous yet much beloved Phantom Thief in this crowd. The magician thief himself basked in the attention, but then he was certifiably insane so it didn't count.

The sound of cursing in a familiar voice reached his ears moments before Hattori joined him, pressing himself back against the bricks to avoid having his toes accidentally trodden into the concrete.

"Shouldn't he have retired by now?" the Osaka detective muttered, grimacing.

"Just when he's finally able to cut loose and enjoy himself?" Shinichi asked with raised eyebrows. "Not likely."

Hattori shuddered at the thought of the eccentric magician enjoying himself. Like he hadn't been a right terror before. "I almost feel sorry for Hakuba."

Almost, but not really. The blonde brought it on himself by choosing to stay with the KID Taskforce even after everything that had happened.

"I feel like I'm going to go deaf," Shinichi sighed, rubbing at his poor ears as another group of girls burst into excited squeals. Maybe he should have joined the heist participants inside after all. But he was almost a hundred percent sure that if he put in an appearance, something terribly embarrassing would happen to him. As KID, Kaito had absolutely no restraint and was even more of a showman now that he didn't have snipers to worry about. Shinichi supposed he could have chosen to stay at home, but even if they didn't have to worry about snipers anymore, it was hard to break out of the habit of keeping an eye out for them. Besides, there was something nostalgic about attending these heists, even if he wasn't chasing after the thief anymore and hadn't done so in years.

Not long after the fireworks went off—Kaito seemed rather fond of fireworks these days—Shinichi started as an arm snaked around his waist, dragging him back against what by all appearances seemed to be a complete stranger, except that he knew better. The detective squirmed and frowned, turning his head to look up into eyes gleaming with mischief behind dark green contact lenses.

"I wish you'd at least drop the disguise before doing this. It's a little disturbing."

"I'll keep it in mind," the taller man said with a wink. Acknowledging Hattori with a nod, he added, "So then, Tantei-han, seeing as I'm taking Shin-chan here with me, how do you feel about being the one to return the jewel to Nakamouri tonight?"

The Osaka detective groaned. "You just don't want to wait around for an hour while the inspector yells at Kudou for not alerting him when you showed up to pass along your target."

"Can't argue with that. What can I say? I've already made plans."

"Fine," Hattori said hurriedly before Kaito could offer to tell him about these plans. He'd learned quickly that Kaito's plans, whether or not he really had them, were better left alone and unknown.

"Great. I've already put it in your jacket pocket."

Hattori's hand flew to said pocket and he sighed. "Right, of course you did. Goodnight then, you two."

They bid their friend farewell and watched as he moved towards the museum building, his figure quickly disappearing into the masses.

"Home?"

"Home," Kaito agreed, leading the way through the milling crowd in the opposite direction. "And don't look so worried. I didn't actually make plans." Yet. "I just want to get back."

.

Truth be told, it wouldn't have been entirely correct to say that Kaito hadn't thought of retiring his alter ego. Whatever good he did as KID, however much fun he had, he had to acknowledge that KID was still a criminal, and that entailed certain risks. He was fine with the risks himself—always had been, but he knew that on some level, it still bothered Shinichi.

And so he'd taken his detective out to dinner one night and had a talk with him about it, and he offered to retire as KID if that was what Shinichi really wanted.

Shinichi had been tempted. The last thing he wanted was for Kaito to end up in jail, unlikely though that was, or to make any more enemies that might start shooting at him. It had happened before. But it wouldn't have been fair for him to make that decision. KID was too much a part of Kaito. Whether or not he continued to go on heists, Kaito would always be Kaitou KID just as Conan would always be a part of Shinichi. Quite frankly, Shinichi himself found it hard to imagine what life would be like without KID, and maybe he would miss the heists too—just a little.

"_It's your choice,"_ he'd told Kaito in the end. _"I'm okay with whatever you want to do. Just as long as you're careful."_

The final verdict had been that KID would continue to go on heists for at least the next couple years. Kaito would have time to plan and execute heists without the shadow of the past hanging over them all, and they'd have memories of the moonlight and the magic that would be untainted by danger or anxiety or hate. And then maybe, after that, Kaito would hang up his cape for good, but they would cross that bridge when they came to it.

Besides, they had more immediate problems to deal with, like settling back into regular, college life so they could graduate on schedule. Shinichi had it particularly rough, although Kaito had to point out that this was largely because his detective seemed unable to comprehend the idea of letting other people share his case load. Despite only officially working for the police part-time, he tended to spend more time at work than he did at school and home put together. It didn't take Kaito long to decide that this was unacceptable. He'd spent two months on the run and then even longer masquerading as a stranger in order to infiltrate a crime syndicate. He expected to be able to spend quality time with his beloved detective when he wanted to now that the masquerade was over, and he was damned well going to see that this happened no matter what.

Fortunately for the members of the Beika police division, Kaito had taken the time to introduce himself to them way back when he'd first started courting their teenage detective. If he hadn't been so considerate, they might have done something really stupid—like try to get in his way...

.

"Shinichi!"

Shinichi started in his seat, looking up from the report he was working on to find Kaito scowling down at him. "Kaito? What are you doing here?"

The magician rolled his eyes. "What am I doing here, you ask. I've barely seen you for the last two weeks, and you ask me what I'm doing here?"

"I'm sorry," Shinichi apologized, rubbing at his tired eyes, "but I've got so much work to do."

"Not anymore, you don't."

"Huh?"

The next thing Shinichi knew, Kaito had lifted him bodily out of his chair and into the magician's arms. "Hey!"

"I'm kidnapping him for the rest of today, and probably tomorrow too," Kaito informed the office at large, shifting his grip on his detective so he couldn't get away. "He hasn't had a day off in a month. I'd say he's overdue for a few days' rest."

"But my cases," Shinichi protested, though he sounded halfhearted even to his own ears. He really was tired.

"Someone else can handle them. You're not the only detective on the police force, you know."

Takagi watched the pair leave uncertainly. "Should we have let him do that?"

"You want to be the one to try and stop him?"

He thought about this and shuddered. The answer was definitely a no. "I suppose Kudou-kun did look like he really needed a break."

Kaito didn't bother hiding his grin, catching the snippet of their conversation as he left the main office. "They learn pretty fast sometimes, don't they?"

"You didn't give them a choice," Shinichi muttered, recalling the first few times Kaito had dropped in to visit him at work. His magic tricks had seemed like only a distraction to the division at first, mostly harmless entertainment—until they'd seen Kaito at work on a crime scene. That man really shouldn't have tried to hurt Shinichi. The magician really wasn't very forgiving or particularly merciful, especially where people trying to hurt _his_ detective were concerned.

"What can I say? I'm good at training law enforcement officers to do what I want."

"I think Inspector Nakamouri would blow a blood vessel if he heard you say that." Shinichi sighed and shook his head. "Are you going to let me down now?"

"Nope."

"But, Kaito," Shinichi protested, squirming a little as they emerged into the street. "I'm really well known around here. People will recognize me. They'll talk."

"Good."

Giving up, Shinichi relaxed and let his head fall to rest on Kaito's shoulder. He didn't think there was anyone left in Beika or Ekoda—or Osaka for that matter—who didn't know Kaito was his boyfriend anyway. "So where are we going?"

"Home. You're going to go to sleep. And then we're going out for dinner. There's an amazing Italian place that just recently opened downtown with a great view of the city. As for tomorrow, maybe we should hit the movie theatre?"

.

...Honestly, neither of them particularly liked to watch movies. They didn't particularly dislike watching them either, but Shinichi was a bit too skeptical and Kaito a bit too critical for either of them to enjoy movies in the same way most other people did. Still, Shinichi figured he may as well try to keep in touch with modern trends since it was occasionally useful during his cases, and Kaito used the time in the dark to cuddle his detective while picking the movie's special effects apart. In any case, it provided a good excuse to take a few hours not to think about anything serious, and with Kaito around, it seemed that people became a lot less likely to drop dead.

Sometimes, it made Shinichi wonder if he really was cursed, except that he didn't believe in such things.

Then again, Pandora had turned red in the moonlight. Of course, whether or not it really could grant a person immortality, they weren't going to find out. Kaito had tried multiple ways to destroy the jewel from sledgehammers to diamond cutters, but nothing had so much as scratched its surface. So instead, he'd had to settle for hiding it somewhere and surreptitiously spreading the rumor that it had been destroyed. For now, that would have to do.

.

Returning to their apartment after a heist always felt oddly surreal, like they had stepped from one world into another—which was almost true, stepping from the world of KID and crime back into the world where they were simply Kuroba Kaito and Kudou Shinichi.

Kaito shut the door behind them and Shinichi made a beeline for the kitchen and its coffeemaker.

"Do you want anything to eat?"

"Not especially," Kaito said, following him. He picked up a copy of that day's papers on the way and sat down at the kitchen table. Because of the heist, he hadn't had time to read the papers that morning, something he usually did religiously.

Shinichi had questioned him about the habit once, and had been rather amazed to discover that the magician really had read the thing from cover to cover—and still remembered everything he'd read. The knowledge had come in handy during more than a couple cases.

"Do you have work tomorrow? I know you don't have classes."

Shinichi thought about it, blinking over the rim of his coffee mug. What day was—oh, yeah. Thursday. "No. I've been ordered in no uncertain terms to stay home and keep you company over the weekend. I think they're afraid you'll show up if I don't take weekends off. They find you kind of intimidating."

"Really?" Kaito lifted an eyebrow at that. "I didn't think "intimidating" was a word I'd generally associate with myself."

Shinichi raised his own eyebrows in return, but chose not to comment. Generally speaking, he supposed he'd agree. Kaito was dangerous, certainly, and perplexing too. Frustrating? Most definitely, especially if you were a policeman. But intimidating? Not unless you'd ever seen him truly angry, which didn't happen all that often, thank heavens.

It was just unfortunate for the First Division officers that they'd gotten to witness one of those rare, genuine displays of anger.

It had been during a murder and kidnapping case, always delicate at even the best of times. Shinichi had been quite proud of himself for having been able to get all three children out of there safely. Unfortunately, he himself hadn't been quite so lucky and the situation had degenerated from there.

Kaito had caught wind of the case somewhat later than he would have liked and abandoned the magic show he was preparing for to rush to the scene. And the scene that had met his eyes had not put him in the mood for subtlety.

Shinichi could believe that that particular criminal would have nightmares for the rest of his life of that moment, wondering what might have happened if that coldly smiling, messy-haired lunatic—for surely, only a lunatic would break into a hostage situation in such a way—had decided not to miss with that gun. Wondering what might have happened if the magician had carried out his threats, and whether he had been bluffing or not. Even killers tended to value their own skins, or perhaps it was especially killers who valued their own lives above the lives of others.

But for the most part, the magician went out of his way to put people at ease, something he was incredibly good at when he wanted to be.

"I don't think they know quite what to make of you."

Kaito smirked at that. "Is that so?"

The newspapers rustled and the magician appeared to return to his reading, except Shinichi couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched nonetheless. He'd gotten somewhat used to the feeling though, and endeavored not to let it bother him too much as he took another sip of his coffee.

"You don't have to keep me company," Kaito said abruptly. "I know you're exhausted. It's been an eventful week."

Never a good thing for a homicide detective.

"Oh, is that why you haven't..."

"Molested you yet like I usually do on heist nights?" Kaito grinned wickedly at him over the top of his newspapers and Shinichi blushed, grumbling incoherently into his mug. "Did you want me to? I mean, I'm more than happy to oblige. I just figured you could use the break. And it's not like I won't have plenty of opportunity over the weekend."

"Thank you for being so considerate," Shinichi said dryly, trying to cover his embarrassment. He wished he had a copy of the newspapers too so he could shield his face behind it. "And sleep sounds good. It's just—well, I didn't want to leave you here by yourself... Not sure if I could sleep with you out here anyway..."

And right after heists, the magician was usually still running too high on adrenaline to bother with sleep.

The expression on Kaito's face softened. He cast the papers one last glance then refolded them and set them aside. Standing, he moved around the table to pull Shinichi to his feet as well, taking the mug from his hands and steering them towards their shared bedroom.

The detective had been both happy and strangely relieved to move into Kaito's apartment all those weeks ago. His own family's Beika residence had always seemed a bit too big and a bit too empty with just one person living there. Frankly, it was a bit much even for three people. Kaito's apartment was different. For starters, it was a much more reasonable size. And he wasn't alone in it. Kaito made sure that there was never a dull or lonely moment. Sometimes this was a bad thing, but for the most part, Shinichi felt grateful.

After everything he'd been through in his short life, he knew how to be grateful for these seemingly little things.

"Get changed and go to sleep," Kaito ordered, pushing him gently but firmly towards the bed. "I'm going to grab some of Tou-san's old files then I'll be back. I've got some last notes to add anyway, just to complete the records. There's no reason why I can't stay here and keep you company while I do it."

By the time the magician returned, Shinichi was already under the covers. Kaito switched off the light overhead, leaving only the lamp on the nightstand to shed a dim, golden glow about his side of the bed. He didn't say another word, just settled down with his back against the headboard and his father's old records in his hands, a serious expression on his face that Shinichi knew other people seldom saw. It made him look older, the detective thought, the shadows accentuating his angular features and reminding him how much they'd both grown up. They weren't children anymore. Maybe they hadn't been for a long time despite Shinichi's time as Conan and Kaito's nighttime alias—or perhaps it was precisely because of those things. How ironic.

Shinichi couldn't pinpoint exactly when he fell asleep, but the last thing he remembered before his consciousness drifted away was a stray thought that life really was a mysterious thing. No matter how smart you were, you could never know for sure where you'd end up or who would become so important to you.

.

"_You know how people say that a picture is worth a thousand words?" _

"_Yeah?" _

"_I used to think it was true. Now, I'm not so sure." _

_Kaito raised an eyebrow, throwing his jacket over the back of the couch and joining Shinichi before the living room table. Laid out on the tabletop were several photo albums. _

"_I found them when I was organizing the bookshelf," Shinichi said. Actually, he'd been adding his complete collection of Sherlock Holmes stories to Kaito's vast literary collection. _

_Kaito glanced at the picture Shinichi had been looking at. There were four people in it, all smiling so cheerfully, as though none of them had a care in the world. Not that that meant very much where these particular four individuals were concerned. To these incredible masters of disguise, a simple smile was child's play. _

_Nothing in the picture hinted at the fact that now, more than a decade later, one of the people in the picture would be missing and another would be dead. Nothing hinted at the fact that one of them was an internationally wanted jewel thief, that one of them would follow in those footsteps, or that a third was a Black Organization criminal. Perhaps a picture could be worth a thousand words, but sometimes, a thousand words weren't nearly enough. _

"_We should put together our own album," Kaito said, choosing not to address Shinichi's comment. "Personally, pictures are only really worth a thousand words to the people who take them." _

_The people who knew the whole story behind each image, each moment captured and preserved in time. _

"_I've already got several photos that we can choose from." _

"_You do? Since when?" _

"_Well... Some of them are from your mother, and some of them my doves took for me." _

"_You know what? I don't want to see those photos. Don't tell me about them. And we're not including them in any albums." _

"_Aww, but Shin-chan! I've got some lovely pictures of you." _

"_..." _

.

With the arrival of spring, a festive mood swept through their friends, lead by none other than Suzuki Sonoko. The moment the sakura blossoms began to open, she threw her efforts and enthusiasm into gathering all her friends for a decent get-together. "No" was not an option on her invitations, not that any of them really minded. Ideas were discussed, plans made, and a date set for the reunion. It would be the first time that all of them had done something together.

Kaito and Shinichi got up bright and early on the day chosen for their get-together. Never at his best before his first mug of coffee, Shinichi didn't notice the package on the kitchen table until they were almost completely done with breakfast.

"What's this?" he asked, eyeing the colorfully wrapped package cautiously.

"It's for you," Kaito informed him, grinning into his own coffee mug.

Curious but wary, Shinichi unwrapped the rectangular package to reveal—

He gasped, an excited smile breaking out across his face. "But this—I've been waiting for this book to come out for forever! But how..."

The smile faded a bit from Shinichi's face to be replaced by a slight frown. "How did you get this? I thought it wasn't going to be on the bookstore shelves until next week."

"It isn't," Kaito agreed cheerfully.

He didn't elaborate further and Shinichi decided after some consideration not to ask. Whatever Kaito had done to get the book, whether he'd pulled some strings or outright stolen it, at least the detective could be sure that he would have compensated the original owners for the loss. The magician thief had his own honor code after all. He might as well just enjoy the gift.

So instead of asking more questions, the detective said simply, "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Suzuki Sonoko being who she was had secured for them a prime location for cherry blossom viewing despite the stiff competition. Kaito and Shinichi arrived at around the same time as Hakuba, and they were soon joined by the girls who'd been caught up in a kimono show. Hattori was the last to make it to their gathering, dropping onto the picnic blanket with a groan and a mumble about dangerous if beautiful flower displays. None of them asked any further questions. They didn't want to know if someone had been murdered on his way to meet them. This was their first reunion in forever. None of them wanted to risk spoiling it.

The early afternoon passed with much talk and laughter. They discussed their lives, what they'd been doing for the past few months, their work, and their thoughts for the future. Shinichi found himself smiling in a mixture of happiness and surprise to realize—seemingly for the first time since everything had happened—that they _had_ a future to think about. Sitting here amongst all his closest friends, that elusive and rather fragile truth was finally able to sink in. They were moving forward again, and it was both a pleasant and a slightly frightening realization.

"Maybe we should visit a temple later," Hakuba noted, perhaps his thoughts having run along similar lines.

Hattori couldn't resist. "I was sure you of all people would be a strict atheist."

"I don't really think about it much," the blonde replied stiffly. "And anyways, it doesn't hurt, does it?"

"You know what they should really do?" Kaito mused. "They should build a shrine to Lady Luck. I bet she'd get lots of dedicated visitors."

"And I suppose you'd be her number one supporter," Hakuba muttered.

The magician grinned. "Of course. Lady Luck loves me after all."

Even if most of his "luck" was really his carefully laid out layers upon layers of contingency plans. Kaito liked to let people believe what they would about that. Some good, solid superstitions did a person good and made life just a bit more interesting.

Hakuba snorted. "Yes, she does. And I suppose that's why she seems to hate Kudou."

The blonde tilted an eyebrow at his fellow detective, who was currently sitting in Kaito's lap. Shinichi resolutely ignored the comment. He hadn't survived this long as Kuroba Kaito's significant other without developing a certain ability to tune out things that might be detrimental to his mental health.

Just as the sun began to set, bathing the trees in shades of warmth, Sonoko stood up. "All right, everyone. Let's take a group picture. The lighting right now is perfect and the professional photographer I found should be arriving any minute."

Or any second as it turned out.

Kaito wrapped an arm around Shinichi's waist and grinned his shark's grin at the camera. The detective leaned against him, a soft smile finding its way onto his own face. Around them, their friends were still laughing and chatting, providing a pleasant backdrop as the cameraman searched for the perfect angle.

Later, Shinichi would have the photograph framed and hung on their living room wall, the first of many—scenes frozen by the camera lens documenting a life that perhaps one day, their other friends and relatives would look at and wonder about.

.

"_So how does it feel?" _

"_Hmmm?" _

"_To be done with university, I mean." _

_Kaito shrugged, lounging on the couch while he watched Shinichi organize the notes from his classes that semester. The detective still had one more year after all, not to mention the summer course he'd signed up for. "Hard to say. I don't think it's quite clicked in my head yet, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do now." _

_This made Shinichi look up at him in surprise. "You're not going to start performing? I thought you'd want to start your professional magician's career right away." _

"_That was my original plan," Kaito agreed, expression unreadable. "But I've decided that there's something I want to do first. Graduation is, after all, supposed to be the start of the rest of my life, yes?" _

"_So that something would be?" _

_The magician hummed in response but said nothing, which Shinichi took to mean that he'd find out eventually. _

.

"Shin-chan, let's go to Paris."

Shinichi blinked into the depths of his morning coffee then looked up at the magician who had slid into the seat opposite him at the kitchen table. "You want to visit the place where Kaitou KID made his first appearance?"

Kaito grinned at that. "It's wonderful that you know me so well."

"I wonder what that says about me," Shinichi sighed, taking another gulp of his coffee.

"You should feel honored. You're the only person in the world who can say he really understands the great Kaitou KID."

"Very honored," the detective said dryly, but his heart wasn't in it. Really, it wasn't like anyone else could understand. Kaito tended to go out of his way to confuse most people. And most people would only ever see the lights and the glamour, not the shadows that lurked behind them.

Sometimes... Sometimes, when they were alone, Shinichi thought he could still see something dark in the magician's indigo eyes—something dangerous in a way that KID tried hard not to be but that had crept through his soul with all the time he had spent in the shadows. At times like that, the detective was reminded harshly of the reality they had fought through, and the fact that Kaito had fought those battles from a place far removed from the laws and the justice and the rules that Shinichi worked by. It was a look that reminded him of what Kaito could have been, how he could have turned out if everything had gone sour—if the magician hadn't had the iron self control he had, if he hadn't made the decision to confide in Shinichi. Maybe that was one of the ways in which real killers were made, the kind of criminals that really made Shinichi's blood run cold and his heart beat with a fear that he would never admit to. Maybe what people needed was to know that they weren't facing the world alone, because there was so much darkness in it and it was so easy for the darkness to overshadow the light.

"Shin-chan, it's way too early in the morning for you to be looking so serious," Kaito sighed, reaching across the table to tuck a strand of Shinichi's hair behind his ear. "No one's even died yet."

Shinichi grimaced. "Don't even joke about that. And I have work. I can't just go on vacation without giving them any notice."

"Sure you can. I handed in a notice for you last week. They won't be expecting you at work for a fortnight. And before you ask, I've cleared it with your professors too. There aren't going to be any exams, and you're ahead in your studies anyway."

"Oh." Shinichi stared, his brain still not quite up to speed yet in the morning. Really, he shouldn't have been surprised. "When is our plane leaving them?"

"In four hours," Kaito replied cheerfully, "so you better get ready. It's an international flight, so we should plan to get there at least three hours in advance."

And of course Kaito spoke French.

They ended up spending a week in France and then touring England before returning to Japan. It was the first real, long vacation Shinichi had been on since... Well, since his time as Conan. Come to think of it, it was probably the first real, long vacation Kaito had been on in just about as long—probably even longer. Everything in their lives always seemed to be moving so fast, heists, cases, and class work all piling together.

He hadn't realized how much he'd needed the time to just sit back and _breathe_ until the chance had been given to him.

Perhaps that was what Kaito had wanted too. The magician was always so energetic, always on the move, and it was a little startling to realize that maybe he'd also wanted this time away from it all. Then again, being a free thief _was_ a fulltime occupation.

Of course, Kaito's idea of "relaxing" included waking Shinichi up to go mountain climbing before dawn and taking walks on the roofs of skyscrapers at half past midnight. But then the sunrise had been beautiful and the glittering nighttime cityscape made the detective feel pleasantly nostalgic.

Once they got back, Kaito would be launching his career as a professional magician, a career he'd always dreamed of. Someday, he'd promised himself that he would be the best the world had ever seen. Shinichi still had a year of college left, and then thee was his detective work with the police, a position he had all but held since high school. In other words, they had the rest of their lives ahead of them. There was no need to rush.

.

"_Mom? What are you doing here?" _

_Although he wasn't really as surprised as perhaps he ought to have been to run into his mother on the streets of London. Last he'd heard, his parents had been traveling Europe. _

"_Is that any way to greet your mother? And besides, I should be asking you the same thing. I didn't think Kaito-kun would let you go wandering off without him on this little vacation of yours." _

_Shinichi opened his mouth then shut it again and looked away, grumbling under his breath. _

_Yukiko raised her eyebrows. Now this was interesting. "Did something happen?" _

_Shinichi looked down at his coffee then at his reflection upon the glass of the coffee shop window. "It's nothing." _

"_Come now, Shin-chan. You can tell me." _

"_It's nothing," he insisted. He picked up his mug, muttering the rest of his words into it, "It wasn't really his fault..." _

_It wasn't. Kaito flirted with women all the time, but they both knew he didn't mean anything by it. And Shinichi was the one who'd gotten them involved in that case. Shinichi was the one who'd wanted more information, and Kaito had gotten it for him without raising any suspicions or ruffling the feathers of the local police. It was just... Well, did he really have to promise to eat dinner with her? And why had Shinichi declined joining them like Kaito had wanted? Sometimes, Shinichi thought that one of the hardest people in the world to understand was Shinichi. _

_Across the table from him, his mother stifled a giggle. How adorable. Her baby was having boyfriend troubles. Five minutes with her son and she was already in a better mood. _

"_You know," she said lightly, spooning some sugar into her teacup and stirring it, the tiny spoon clinking against the sides, "at least your boyfriend has impeccable manners and knows how to romance a girl, not like a certain someone." _

_So that was why she was out here on her own. Go figure. Not that he could talk. How scary was that? He was acting like his mother. _

"_I'm sure that whatever Dad did this time, he didn't mean it." _

_Yukiko made a sound in her throat but refrained from further complaints about her husband in favor of indulging in her son's relationship instead. "Seriously, Shin-chan, if Kaito-kun is anything like his father, you really don't have anything to worry about." _

_And Kaito was more than a little like his father. _

"_I always did like Toichi-sensei," she mused. "He was such a charming man, and so thoughtful. Maybe I should have married him instead." _

_Shinichi choked on his coffee. _

"_Just kidding! Well, mostly kidding," she laughed then winked. "Who'd have thought my Shin-chan and Toichi-sensei's son would end up together?" _

"_Yeah, who'd have thought." But he couldn't help the faint smile when he said it. If he was honest with himself, he really didn't have any regrets. He knew better than anyone what kind of man Kaito was. _

_He should have just gone to dinner with them instead of excusing himself and running away here to sulk. Not that Shinichi would admit outside the privacy of his own head that he was sulking. _

"_It seems he's come looking for you." _

_Blue eyes blinked and scanned the street beyond the window. Sure enough, he spotted a familiar head of wild, brown hair headed their way. The shop door swung open with a gust of cool air and a tinkle of bells, then Kaito was beside their table, leaning down to kiss Shinichi before nodding towards his companion. _

"_Ah, if it isn't my cute detective and his beautiful mother. I've been looking all over for you. Sorry, Lady Yukiko, but I need to steal Shinichi for the rest of the night. I made reservations." _

"_I thought you just had dinner," Shinichi said. _

"_But I'll bet you haven't. And anyway, I saved room for dessert." _

_Yukiko hid a smile behind her cup as she waved them away. Her baby was all grown up. _

_How strange. _

_She supposed that it had been inevitable. Sometimes, she did wonder if she had missed too much along the way, but then her attentions hadn't exactly been welcomed. In any case, she was glad that Shinichi had found someone to care for him, someone that he could love. You wouldn't know from looking at them right at this moment just how much these two had been through. Whatever part she'd played—and she liked to think that she'd played quite a big part, she was proud of how her son had turned out. She imagined that her old teacher would have been proud too. _

.

"Hey, isn't that Kuroba-san?"

"You mean that magician who's been getting so popular lately? I've always wanted to attend one of his shows. I heard he's one of the best there is even though he's still so young."

"Yeah, I'm almost positive that's him! I heard he graduated from this university already. What's he doing here now?"

"Do you think it's possible the school invited him to give a performance for our graduation?"

"Right, we should be so lucky."

"Hey, it could happen. He does specialize in outdoor performances after all, and the ceremony's being held outdoors."

"I still think you're just dreaming. Who's ever heard of having a magic show at a college graduation? He must be here for another reason."

"I wonder if he has a girlfriend..."

The whispers followed Kaito as he made his way through the university campus. The magician smirked a little to himself but otherwise ignored them. He had his reasons for being here, that was certainly true, and they'd all find out about it soon enough. The idea had all come about after a conversation with his favorite detective some days before.

"_Are you looking forward to it?" _

"_To what?" _

"_Graduating. Your graduation's next week. Don't tell me you forgot." _

"_No, I remember." It was a little hard to forget with how excited all his classmates were. Ran was excited too. It seemed like everyone was excited. Well, almost everyone. _

"_So?" _

"_I don't know." _

"_What is that supposed to mean?" _

"_It just doesn't seem like it's going to change anything." _

"_Hmmm." Kaito looked up at the sky, tucking his hands in his pockets. "Oddly enough, that makes perfect sense. I suppose we both grew up a little too fast." _

"_I suppose so." Which was a little ironic seeing as how crazy most people thought Kaito was and how many years Shinichi had spent reliving elementary school. _

_Glancing back over at his detective, Kaito grinned. "Well, no need to worry about that. I'll make sure your graduation day is memorable." _

_Shinichi winced. "You know, I wasn't worried until you said that." _

Then again, Shinichi said that a lot when Kaito got excited about things and started scheming. Kaito knew he had fun anyway. Well, most of the time. Sometimes... not so much. But hey, this was his beloved Shin-chan's college graduation! Was it so wrong to make sure that it was a graduation ceremony to remember? Kaito didn't think so, and he knew he could get the criminology department staff to agree with him.

The staff didn't need to ask who he was. When Kaito stopped through the door of their main office, nervous anxiety swept through its inhabitants like a tidal wave. All activities paused and every eye turned towards him.

The magician smiled his charming, predator's smile. "Beautiful morning, isn't it? Listen, I've got a proposal for you all..."

One thing was for sure. Shinichi wasn't the only one who would never forget his college graduation. Students would talk for years about the crazy magician who gave one of the graduation speeches, the fancy decorations that had appeared like magic around the auditorium, and the snowy doves that carried each scroll to its intended recipient.

.

"_Sonoko's been complaining again. Mostly about her love life. I don't see why she and Ran have to talk about these things when I'm around." _

"_If I had to guess, I'd say it's because you have a serious love life and they feel this means you should have some insights about these things. So what was she complaining about this time?" _

"_She's been pining for her own "happily ever after". Apparently, she feels like it's never going to happen to her, and it's somehow unfair because she thinks it's happened for me." _

"_Hmmm, she's never going to get her happy ending if she thinks that way. People have to make their own ever afters." _

"_Their own happiness, you mean." _

"_That too." _

"_I agree with you, but you better not let her hear you saying that." _

"_I, Kuroba Kaito, am not afraid to say or do anything." A chuckle and then a more serious, "But no, I won't tell her that. People have to find these things out on their own or it doesn't mean anything. Besides, she likes me too much to take anything I say seriously." _

"_A little counterintuitive but true." _

_Indigo eyes watched Shinichi move about the kitchen from his seat at the dining table. The detective finished arranging the rice and side dishes onto two platters and moved to join him. _

"_And so here we are," Kaito mused aloud, "a professional magician well on his way to being famous worldwide and one of Japan's most admired detectives. I suppose this means we both have what we've always wanted. Somehow, I can't help but wonder if it's all really what we dreamed that it should be." _

_Shinichi paused, some rice halfway to his mouth. "I'm not sure I understand." _

_Kaito just smiled that unreadable smile of his and picked up his own chopsticks. "I simply observe that life makes you sit back and rethink your priorities sometimes and what's important. Dreams are important, but somehow, I don't think attaining them would be half as satisfying without someone to share them with." _

"_...Is this going to be one of your embarrassingly romantic speeches?" _

"_You wound me! I was being perfectly serious. Besides, speeches are boring, and I don't do boring." _

"_I know that look. It means you're plotting something." _

"_I'm always plotting something." _

"_I realize that. But that look means it's something big. It has something to do with me, doesn't it?" _

"_I guess you'll just have to wait and see." _

.

"Okay, Kaito, what are we doing here?"

The question left Shinichi's mouth the moment the door closed behind the waiter. Kaito had reserved a private room for them at an elegant but simply furnished lakeside restaurant with its own balcony overlooking the water.

"We're having dinner."

Shinichi's brow furrowed. "I see that. But this is obviously some kind of special occasion. Does this have anything to do with why Hattori and Kazuha suddenly delayed their visit? Have I forgotten something?"

It wouldn't have been the first time. He was, after all, known to forget his own birthday on a regular basis.

"No you haven't," Kaito assured him. But aside from that, he didn't offer any more information and Shinichi knew better than to pry.

The food was excellent, as was to be expected from any restaurant that Kaito would bother making reservations for. They chatted about everything—work, parents, Shinichi's father's new book, their next vacation plans—and Kaito expertly avoided answering any of Shinichi's subtle, searching questions. The sky outside darkened and the lights strung all along the balcony flickered on, making the balcony railing glitter. When the soft strains of music drifted up to them from the floor below and Kaito drew him out onto the balcony, Shinichi expected him to ask him for a dance. Instead, the magician knelt on one knee and took one of Shinichi's hands in both of his.

Alarm bells began to ring in the detective's head. He had the feeling that he knew where this was going and the heat immediately began creeping up into his cheeks. Sure enough—

"Shin-chan, will you marry me?"

And somehow, even though he had half been expecting it, the question still managed to catch him off guard. He stared wide-eyed at his boyfriend of more than a few years, trying to find his voice. At last, he managed a slightly weak, "You realize that it wouldn't be legal here in Japan."

"We could always go somewhere where it is. It's no one's business but ours. And besides," Kaito smirked, "when have I ever cared what was legal?"

Well, that was certainly true. Shinichi looked away, blushing furiously and more than a little glad that they were alone on the balcony—although really, even from the beginning, there had always been only one answer that he would give. It was a clear night too with a sky full of stars, and he just knew that Kaito had somehow planned that too.

"Yes, of course I will."

.

"_So then... are we going to live happily ever after?" _

_Shinichi cradled the warm mug of coffee in his lap and glanced at his companion. "I'm surprised you'd even ask a question like that. I didn't think you'd ever let it be anything other than happily ever after." _

_Kaito met his gaze with a thoughtful look and let a sharp smirk settle onto his lips—the kind of smirk KID wore that said nothing was impossible if he was involved. "Hmm, I suppose not. Although I'm sure we'll have plenty of other adventures along the way." _

"_I'm sure we will." _

_And it was both a prediction and a promise. _

* * *

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